How Whole-Health Care Can Help You Feel Great... Live Longer

Henri Roca, MD

Greenwich Hospital Center for Integrative Medicine

hink of your health as a pot on the stove that’s about to come to a boil. Conventional medicine would try to slam a lid on the pot and hold it down tight. That may work at first, but unless the heat is also turned down, the pressure under the lid will build up and the pot will boil over anyway. What alternative therapies try to do is reduce the intensity of the flame under the pot. In both cases, we’re trying to keep the pot from boiling over.

The difference is that with integrative medicine, we’re trying to keep that flame turned way down and keep it from bringing the pot to a boil at all.

This combination of conventional medicine and alternative treatments works so well that today many hospitals (including the one where I work) offer integrative medicine centers. When we incorporate alternative treatments, we’re looking at ways to help people with certain lifestyle issues that are out of balance and will eventually cause illness. We’re looking at the whole person -- mind, body and spirit.

CREATING BALANCE

Our goal is to bring balance back -- instead of allowing an imbalance to continue until it develops into serious symptoms. Through poor eating habits, lack of exercise and exposure to toxins (pesticides and added hormones) in the air we breathe, water we drink and food we eat, we put a huge burden on the body. By using integrative medicine, we can reduce that burden and help the body detoxify.

How it works: By supporting the liver, the kidneys and the intestines. If any of these organs don’t function correctly, we will develop serious disease sooner or later.

Do you suffer from such common disorders as acid reflux, stomach ulcers, obesity, diabetes, menstrual irregularities, skin rashes, allergies, asthma or digestive problems? Many of my patients do. All those diagnoses are related, because the human system is a web of interactions and no single diagnosis can stand alone. Instead of giving someone three or four or 10 diagnoses with three or four or 10 pills to treat them, we work to bring that entire system back into balance. Treatments I use include...

Herbal products.

Biofeedback or other types of mind-body techniques, such as visualization.

Meditation or deep breathing techniques.

Traditional Chinese medicine, such as acupuncture.

Homeopathy.

There’s no single best treatment that works for everyone. We look closely at the patient as an individual and choose treatments based on what is most likely to be effective for him/her. But there are some important general guidelines that may apply to you...

CHRONIC DISEASES

When we have situations in life that impact our bodies significantly, such as chronic disease or stress, our nutrients are used up very quickly. We need to replenish them -- if we don’t, then chronic diseases worsen or we develop new disease. Examples...

Depression often occurs after a person has been under significant stress that continues over a long period. Under these circumstances, by replenishing basic nutrients necessary to create natural mood-regulating chemicals in the brain, we can potentially diminish depression symptoms. We don’t automatically put any depressed person on an antidepressant medication. Sometimes we do so in conjunction with vitamin therapy, but the goal is to eventually lower the medication dosage or stop it altogether.

High blood pressure (hypertension) can be caused by a magnesium deficiency. In that case, we might prescribe medication to lower blood pressure but also recommend a diet with more magnesium (or use magnesium supplements).

WHEN TO CHOOSE ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES

Conventional practitioners worry that by using alternative methods, some patients will end up delaying treatment until the condition has worsened... or even until it’s “too late” in the case of life-threatening conditions. That’s a valid concern, but rarely do I ever tell anyone that it’s appropriate to use only conventional medicine or only an alternative approach.

Emergencies: When there’s a truly dangerous medical condition -- for example, blood pressure that’s so high that the patient is in serious danger of having a heart attack or stroke... or a serious bacterial infection needing antibiotics... or cancer that might respond to chemotherapy, radiation and/or surgery -- then conventional medicine, through the emergency room if necessary, is definitely the way to go.

But what if your blood pressure has just begun to increase? Then you could choose standard blood pressure medication to protect yourself from complications and worsening disease... and use an integrative approach to rebalance the system and turn off the fire. The ultimate goal is to reduce the medication dose or to stop the drugs completely.

In the case of a life-threatening illness, such as cancer, alternative therapies are not cures. Instead, integrative medicine focuses on supporting the person through the conventional treatment process and can be very effective in helping with the pain, fatigue and nausea associated with chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Similarly, integrative medicine can be very helpful for treating chronic diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, where fatigue is a big problem. Integrative medical doctors are board-certified by the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. You can find a doctor near you by checking its Web site, www.holisticboard.org.

Study Says Organic No Better | Jon Barron's Natural Health Blog

Study Says Organic No Better | Jon Barron's Natural Health Blog: "studies have found that conventionally grown foods contain 300 percent higher concentrations of pesticide residues than organic foods. According to the website, What’s on My Food, the average child gets over five servings of pesticides with meals a day. The website also notes that traces of eight types of pesticides were found on a single strawberry, and almost all conventionally grown strawberries in over 700 samples contained these residues. Studies have found that farm workers, who have increased exposure to pesticides, have far higher rates of cancer. According to the USDA’s own website, pesticides can cause “birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other effects that might occur over a long period of time.” Those other effects create a very long list containing virtually every imaginable health issue, from skin and eye irritation to endocrine disruption, autism, and death. All in all, it provides another good reason for regular detoxing. The website also notes that the food we eat typically may contain:

* insecticides to control insects
* rodenticides to control rodents
* herbicides to control weeds
* fungicides to control mold and fungus
* antimicrobials to control bacteria"

Healthy Home Tips 02: Go organic and eat fresh foods | Environmental Working Group

How to avoid pesticides on your food

• Buy organic when you can. Organic produce is grown without pesticides, so when you eat it you’re not also eating toxic chemicals. As it should be.
• Don’t use pesticides to grow your own food. More and more Americans have backyard and community gardens. Use natural techniques – not pesticides - to manage pests.
• When you can’t buy organic, buy less-contaminated conventional produce. Every year EWG ranks popular fruits and vegetables based on the amount of pesticide residues found on them. For example, apples and peaches top our “Dirty Dozen” list, so buy those organic, but sweet corn, peas and watermelon are all in the “Clean 15,” so you can feel better about buying those raised conventionally.
• Download the guide and the handy iPhone app at FoodNews.org. Donate and we'll send you a fridge magnet, too.

Green Tea Squeeze Play: Alternative Health Newsletter

Green tea health benefits

As I mentioned earlier, the reported benefits of green tea are multitudinous…and well studied. For example, green tea inhibits tumor growth in a variety of cancers, including: breast, lung, and prostate cancers. Specifically, the EGCG in green tea works to suppress angiogenesis, the growth of blood vessels that tumors need to survive. And if that's not enough -- stopping the growth of cancer at the front end -- green tea polyphenols have been shown to inhibit metastasis, the spread of cancer at the back end. And finally, EGCG is the first known natural telomerase inhibitor. That is to say, it eliminates the "immortality" of cancer cells which is their trademark and which makes them so deadly. The bottom line is that green tea is particularly effective in destroying the causes of leukemia, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and seems to provide the best protection known in terms of preventing lung cancer. And green tea seems to be able to almost totally prevent cancer causing DNA damage in smokers -- a possible explanation as to why the Japanese, who are among the world's heaviest smokers, have such a low incidence of lung cancer.

And the benefits of green tea don't stop there. It has also been shown to be effective in regulating blood sugar, reducing cholesterol and triglycerides, and in reversing the ravages of heart disease. (Incidentally, the Japanese, who drink large amounts of green tea, have some of the lowest rates of cardiovascular disease in the world.)

And finally, green tea has great benefits for the brain as well. It serves as an effective MAO inhibitor. It also protects against brain-cell death from glucose oxidase, over-production of nitric oxide, and it lowers the amount of free iron reaching the brain (a bad thing). The net result is that there are strong indications that green tea extract may play a major role in protecting against both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

Strengthen the Immune System with Jon Barron's Strong Immunity Program

OPTIMIZING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IN FOUR EASY STEPS

Since the purpose of the body’s immune system is to defend against attack and help initiate repair, the better it does it, the healthier we are. Surprisingly, not only are the natural immune boosters and pathogen destroyers safer than the drug approach (having far fewer side effects); they are also far more powerful than their pharmaceutical counterparts:

• Improve Overall Immune Function—to allow the body to better defend itself. Building Your Immune System and Destroying Pathogens.
• Kill And Destroy Unfriendly Invaders—We need to specifically target (kill/destroy) invading bacteria, viruses, microorganisms and other related pathogens—to help out the immune system, as it were. Antibiotics and antivirals are not necessarily as effective as you might think. Why Antibiotics and Antivirals Fail.
• Clean Up Environmental Issues—Air pollution, water pollution, and heavy metal exposure all work to compromise the effectiveness of your immune system. You need to filter your water, clean up the air in your house, and remove heavy metals form your body on a regular basis to keep your immune system optimized.
• Correct Diet and Lifestyle Choices-- As with any anti-aging program, a strong immunity program relies heavily on a healthy diet loaded with fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, which we will cover down below. A poor diet, on the other hand, can cause our entire system to turn upside down starting from an unbalanced digestive system to a troubled elimination system—all of which affect your immune system’s ability to do its job. Some simple dietary rules to follow:

1. Stop Smoking—if you smoke, stop. But you already knew that.
2. Avoid Sugar—research shows that white blood cells have a decreased ability to engulf bacteria when exposed to high levels of sugar, thus suppressing your immune system and your ability to fight infection. A 1976 study, for example, published in Dental Survey found that drinking 24 ounces of sugared cola depressed the activity of bacteria eating neutrophils for a minimum of five hours. Stick to natural sweeteners that are low on the glycemic index. And, if you are wondering what artifical sweetners can do to your immune system, read this report.
3. Limit coffee—research suggests that even though coffee may have some antioxidants, the high acid levels can impeded the villi of the small intenstine, affecting your body’s ability to assimilate nutrients, especially calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It also dehydrates the body. Green tea is a healthier alternative. If you drink coffee, drink 2 glasses of additional water for every cup of coffee, and take a mineral supplement to offset the loss caused by the coffee.
4. Reduce alcohol—alcohol abuse is associated with immune deficiencies and an increased incidence of infectious diseases.
5. Eat healthy fats— Omega 3’s & 6’s help the immune system recognize what is self/non-self—key for controlling cancer, and they are needed by the immune system to manufacture prostaglandins, which kill germs and invaders. And be sure to keep you consumption of Omega 3’s and 6’s in balance.
6. Eliminate Toxic Food from Your Diet—as much as possible, avoid unnatural substances frequently found in commercial food that impact your health such as pesticides, insecticides, genetically modified foods, irradiated foods, food additives, artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, etc. There are over 3000 different chemicals added to our food, and nobody knows the effects of the various additives when used together in the thousands of combinations inside our bodies over time.
7. Raise you pH—as much as possible, eat foods (primarily vegetables and some fruit) that raise your body’s pH. Beneficial supplements include the minerals calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Avoid excesses of meat, dairy, sugars, and cooked grain—all of which make your body more acidic.

The Most Powerful Health Recommendation of Dr. Andrew Weil

The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise

The key to this exercise is to remember the numbers 4, 7 and 8. It’s not important to focus on how much time you spend in each phase of the breathing activity, but rather that you get the ratio correct.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Sit up straight
2. Place the tip of your tongue up against the back of your front teeth. Keep it there through the entire breathing process
3. Breathe in silently through your nose to the count of four
4. Hold your breath to the count of seven
5. Exhale through your mouth to the count of eight, making an audible “woosh” sound
6. That completes one full breath. Repeat the cycle another three times, for a total of four breaths

You can do this exercise as frequently as you want throughout the day, but it’s recommended you don’t do more than four full breaths during the first month or so of practice. Later you may work your way up to eight full breath cycles at a time.

The benefits of this simple practice are enormous and work as a natural tranquilizer for your nervous system.

Personally, I think one of its greatest values may be gained when you combine it with your meals. Most of us eat three meals a day, so it makes remembering to do it easier. Also, I believe that combining it with the attitude of gratitude for the healthy meal you just ate, or are about to eat, can have a powerful, beneficial influence on your health.

Media Trashes Alternative Treatments in Spite of Facts: Health Blog

Media Trashes Alternative Treatments in Spite of Facts: Health Blog: "the facts make clear these things:

1. Prescription drugs are now the fourth leading cause of death in the US, just behind cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
2. Over two million people experience drug-related disabilities or serious drug reactions each year.
3. Deaths by pharmaceutical poisoning rose 62.5% between 1999 and 2004. (Ahh! But at least those drugs are untainted by lead!)
4. A recent Consumers Union study found that medical errors kill nearly 98,000 people in the United States each year and cost $17 billion to $29 billion a year. That figure hasn't improved in the past 10 years and shows no evidence of future improvement.
5. Most of those errors come from giving or prescribing the wrong drug, giving patients the wrong dose or giving the drug in the wrong way. Note that the drug needs to be capable of causing death in the first place, even if by improper prescription.
6. While prescription drugs kill about 140,000 Americans a year, herbs and nutraceuticals kill fewer than 100 (with most of those attributions being highly questionable).

Obviously, in spite of the "rules, guidelines and watchdog groups" that regulate and oversee prescription drug -- pharmaceuticals are among the most dangerous substances on the planet. While drugs sometimes can heal or ease symptoms, they often do no better than alternatives, and very, very often, they do far worse.

conscious choice blog

“Backed by well-documented, peer-reviewed studies and overwhelming statistics the case for a vegetarian diet as a foundation for a healthy life-style has never been stronger.”
- Bradly Saul, OrganicAthlete.com

“The China Study is the most important book on nutrition and health to come out in the last seventy-five years. Everyone should read it, and it should be the model for all nutritional programs taught at universities. The reading is engrossing if not astounding. The science is conclusive. Dr. Campbell’s integrity and commitment to truthful nutrition education shine through.”
- David Klein, Publisher/Editor, Living Nutrition Magazine

Health care as a cash cow

the Driving Force Behind Skyrocketing Costs and Falling Health Statistics?

The truth is that the terrible health statistics of the U.S. are primarily caused by the drug cartel and the food industry. Worse yet, it’s not by accident, nor by ignorant oversight, which is why no politician will likely ever be able to fix it.

The drug industry has been able to manipulate and control the U.S. Congress to pass just about any and every law they need to increase their profits. Once you understand how they control the government, you realize how they are diverting hundreds of billions of dollars for their hyperinflated drug prices. This money goes into their own pockets and has nothing to do with making you healthier.

There is NO PILL that can make you healthier! They can only mask symptoms, and more often than not cause additional health problems.

It is this diversion of funding that is the primary reason why American health is so poor. If these funds were spent wisely and not used for products that don’t work and that aren’t safe, there is no doubt in my mind the United States would lead the world in health stats.

So, the question I ask myself when I watch this ongoing drama with politicians squabbling over private- versus government-funded health care insurance plans is:

Will Any Of The Options On The Table Fix The Underlying Problem?

Will a government-sponsored health plan reduce the number of unnecessary prescriptions? Will there be fewer unwarranted surgeries? Will it reduce costs by focusing on prevention, and offering less dangerous and more inexpensive alternatives?

I believe the answer is no

THE BODY CODE

THE BODY CODE: "Upon the surface of the physical body exists distinct points, that when used aloe or in unique combinations, form a code that has the potential to promote all forms of healing in the body. This code unlocks the quantum healing potential of our body, energetically corresponding to all that we experience and feel within our physical universe. The body always is attempting to move towards balance….this is the imperative of all systems in the body. What gets in the way of healing? Most of the time, we do. We are not trained in how to take care of our body to maximize its longevity and capacity to perform. We are also not taught how to heal our body when it becomes sick or out of balance.

Many healing technologies now exist that are based in ancient knowledge, allowing us to not only care for our body but to also miraculously accelerate healing. By understanding the interconnectedness of body, emotions and thoughts and how we create ourselves in this reality, we can then influence where energy flows in our body and thus influence its ability to heal."

Media Blasts Oprah for Supporting Alternative Medicine

Media Blasts Oprah for Supporting Alternative Medicine: "Media Blasts Oprah for Supporting Alternative Medicine

Media Blasts Oprah for Supporting Alternative Medicine

In January of this year, Oprah Winfrey invited Suzanne Somers on her show to talk about health tips. The 62-year-old actress uses bio-identical estrogen cream and progesterone on her other arm two weeks a month.

According to Somers, the bio-identical hormones are identical to the ones created by the human body, unlike conventional hormones, which are made from mare’s urine.

The result has been a media firestorm condemning both Somers and Oprah, including the hit piece in Newsweek linked below. The authors of the piece, Weston Kosova and Pat Wingert, argue that bio-identical hormones are just as synthetic as conventional hormones -- although they don’t much discuss the fact that conventional hormones are actually different from the 17-beta-estradiol made by your body, while the bio-identical hormones are 17-beta-estradiol itself.

The real reason for the attacks on bio-identical hormones?

As Somers points out, many doctors, scientists and media figures make a good deal of money off of the pharmaceutical industry.

And one thing you won’t see mentioned in the Newsweek article is the fact that Pat Wingert is the co-author of a pharmaceutically biased book on hormones and menopause, and that Newsweek is heavily funded by pharmaceutical companies.

This resembles an incident a few years ago when the cattle industry actually sued Oprah Winfrey just for talking about Mad Cow Disease.

Sources:

Newsweek May 30, 2009

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

The authors of this Newsweek article clearly had a bone to pick with alternative medicine of all kinds. Newsweek does not just ridicule Suzanne Somers for her endorsement of bioidentical hormones, they blast Jenny McCarthy’s stance on vaccine adjuvants being a culprit in causing autism, and even criticize Dr. Christiane Northrup for warning Oprah’s audience of the HPV vaccine and recommending dietary and lifestyle changes to enhance their natural immunity instead. In their article they counter this advice with the statement,

“It is true that of the millions of women who have received the vaccine, 32 have died in the days or weeks afterward. But in each case, the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration investigated the deaths and found that they were coincidental and were not related to the shot.”

This is the kind of blanket dismissal one could only expect from those who have not bothered to do any serious investigations of their own on a topic.

And as for the idea that your thoughts and beliefs may have the slightest to do with your physical health? Ridiculous, according to these two authors.

Apparently they’ve never heard of epigenetics.

Dr. Bruce Lipton, a forerunner in the field of epigenetics and The New Biology, has carefully documented how emotions are one of the most important factors in your health. According to his research, the controlling factor in deciding what your genes express -- in deciding how your future health will play out -- is not your genes, your family history or even the strength of your immune system. It is YOUR MIND.

These are the kind of myopic viewpoints you have to contend with when dealing with conventional medicine, big pharma, and their mouthpieces. But that doesn’t mean they’re any more right, or any less ridiculous, than the people and alternative strategies they try to dismiss with little more than parroted catch-phrases.

Is an Organized Smear Campaign Underway?

Now, Oprah has been targeted by big industries before, such as when she dared talk about Mad Cow disease on her show – a topic that brought her a lawsuit by the meat industry.

But Oprah is not the only one in the crosshairs of what can only be described as an organized smear campaign against alternative medicine.

There’s a disturbing trend taking shape, with a recent onslaught of media articles seeking to put a bad spin on various complementary, alternative medicine and natural medicine options. The misinformation campaign is shifting into higher gear. Is it a very deliberate and concerted media strategy?

Could there be any coincidence that this is all occurring just as the government is preparing health care reform? What would happen If much of alternative medicine was determined illegal?

Robert Zieve, MD, who gave me many of these links, believes that it smells like a witch hunt.

Recent headlines include:

• Contaminants lurk in many ‘natural’ products. Tests find some herbal supplements may be doing more harm than good.

• Cancer patients turning to alternative remedies. 60 percent seek natural ‘cures’ despite warnings from doctors.

• Doctors eager to try ‘mystical mumbo jumbo’. Alternative remedies gain acceptance despite lack of evidence.

• Many ‘natural’ products make dubious claims. A product with "natural" ingredients may be no better for you than one with artificial ingredients, but a lot of us still trust advertisements that suggest as much.

• Reality check on supplements, remedies. Americans increasingly turn to alternative medicine. But does it really help?

• $2.5 Billion spent, no alternative cures found. Big government-funded studies show most work no better than placebos.

• Alternative heart disease treatment probed. Government investigating whether patients were told enough about risks.

Dr. Deepak Chopra responded to the Oprah bashing with this Alternet article, where he states,

"The criticism the medical establishment is directing at Oprah through this article only exposes their own frustration in having squandered their credibility with the public. They hope that if they can successfully attack Oprah's immense credibility, then they can magically get some of that credibility back for themselves. However, if people still trusted the health care industry to act in their best interest the way they did decades ago, then it would be unnecessary to brand Oprah for "crazy talk" simply because she occasionally provides a forum for ideas outside of mainstream medicine.

The medical profession is burdened with a host of problems that Oprah addresses with more candor and force than the AMA. She promotes wellness and prevention, two areas that drastically need improvement. She brings up creative solutions to problems that medical science is baffled by, such as the healing response itself and the role of subjectivity in patient response. These are issues that few M.D.s are willing to explore, yet she has done so for decades.

... What this tells me is that medicine needs Oprah and other patient advocates who are demanding that official medicine heal itself. To accuse them of lacking medical credibility is a red herring. Patients aren't supposed to know more than their physicians. The fact that they often do, at least insofar as alternative treatment goes, is both a sign of hope and cause for distress."

Is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Dangerous?

It has been overwhelmingly proven that conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which science, as little as ten years ago, massively touted, has now been shown to be very dangerous. So there’s no argument there.

Studies looking at the long-term usage of synthetic estrogen have revealed many negative side effects, including heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, high blood pressure and vaginal bleeding. But perhaps most strikingly, just one year after millions of women quit taking hormone replacement therapy, incidents of breast cancer fell dramatically—by 7 percent!

The following prescriptions now carry black box warnings and need to be avoided:

1. Premarin. Premarin is an estrogen extracted from Pregnant Mare’s Urine. We now know it is associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

2. Estrogen Therapy. Estrogen, which is extracted from Premarin, was effective in combating some menopausal symptoms but proved to have serious, negative side effects, such as the increased risk of breast cancer and an increase in insulin levels.

3. Provera. This drug is a progestin or a synthetic form of progesterone, which probably makes it even more toxic than Premarin. Its well-documented, negative side effects include blood clotting.

But to lump bioidentical hormones in with the rest, and attributing the same dangers to them as their synthetic versions is likely unjustified.

The Truth About Bioidentical Hormones

Bioidenticals, unlike synthetic hormones or natural ones from animals, are natural hormones that are bioidentical to your own.

The bioidentical hormone that is prescribed 80 percent of the time is estriol. It’s natural -- not a drug -- and you get it at compounding pharmacies.

And, although the article above states there are no conclusive clinical studies showing that bioidenticals are any less risky than synthetic hormones, the FDA also admits it’s unaware of any adverse effects of bioidentical hormones.

The fact is that estriol has been used safely for decades, and I believe it’s particularly useful when your ovaries have been removed or you’ve had a hysterectomy. Dr. Johathan Wright, who I’ve interviewed for my Expert Inner Circle program, is a pioneer in bioidenticals, and you can see what he has to say about their value in this short video.

The crux is that natural estriol can’t be patented, so there are no major profits to be made, and hence it gets little attention.

The FDA Effectively “Banned” Estriol, But May Approve an Unsafe Prescription Instead

Although not an FDA-approved drug, the FDA has proposed to allow estriol-containing prescriptions to be filled if they’re accompanied by an Investigational New Drug (IND) application, if and when a physician believes it’s in his patient’s best interest.

However, the IND places a significant financial burden on physicians, most notably by requiring them to submit applications to an Institutional Review Boards (IRB).

This process effectively bans most prescriptions for estriol.

Meanwhile, the FDA is in the process of considering the approval of Trimesta, a knock-off of natural estriol. Clearly, the FDA has never been concerned with estriol being used in an unsafe manner -- they were concerned that their drug-company buddies were not getting their fair share of the profits.

Aside from the obvious bias, this is even more troubling because Trimesta may not be a safe version of natural estriol.

According to Dr. Jonathan Wright, the problem with Trimesta is that it’s taken in pill form. Taking this hormone orally is known to be a greater risk factor for endometrial cancer than taking the hormone transdermally (through your skin).

As Dr. Wright said:

"...When the inevitable findings of excessive endometrial cancer are ultimately disclosed, you can bet the blame will fall on the bio-identical hormone itself -- and not on the oral route of administration, which is known to be more risky."

Do You Need Hormone Replacement?

The issue of hormone replacement generally does not come up until the classic symptoms of menopause strike. Menopause occurs when you stop producing estrogen and progesterone, and your periods cease. This can occur naturally, or be induced by a hysterectomy or by having your ovaries removed.

Typical menopausal symptoms include:

• Hot Flashes

• Vaginal Dryness

• Menstrual Irregularities

• Depression

• Mood Swings

• Weight Gain

Short- and long-term strategies can help you control these symptoms. The best approaches are preventive and involve diet and exercise. But in some cases where diet and lifestyle changes are not enough to counteract the more troublesome symptoms of menopause, bioidentical hormones may be able to help.

However, you’ll want to make sure you get your hormonal levels checked properly before embarking on any kind of hormone supplementation program.

I recommend you review Michael Borkin’s article, Women’s Hormones, for more in-depth information about the many variables involved in your sexual and overall health.

Oftentimes the cumulative physiological effects of stress can cause disruption of the natural rhythms and balancing mechanisms of your hormones, which can compromise your overall health as well as your sexual and reproductive health.

Both estrogen and progesterone are necessary in the female cycle, and their balance is key for optimal health. Many women have an imbalance of these hormones, regardless of their age. And if you have insufficient levels of progesterone to counter excessive estrogen, this imbalance can be further exacerbated by chronic stress.

So your answer might not necessarily lie in using hormones, but rather addressing your stress levels so that your body can normalize your hormone levels naturally.

Alternatives to Hormone Replacement

Prevention is always the best cure, and diet and exercise are as powerful in the prevention of future menopausal symptoms as for most other health concerns. Eating right for your nutritional type and exercising regularly can go a long way to keeping your hormones balanced as you age.

Consuming plenty of phytoestrogens (plant-estrogens) such as licorice and alfalfa before menopause can also help moderate your day-to-day estrogen levels so that when menopause comes, the drop won’t be so dramatic.

Beware, however, that soy is not a good option. In fact, non-fermented soy products are likely to damage your health even further.

You’ll also want to make sure your vitamin D levels are optimized. Vitamin D has gotten the short shrift, thanks to fears about tanning and skin cancer, but Vitamin D is a must for gene regulation and optimal health. For more information, I recommend you watch my one-hour video lecture on this essential nutrient.

As for supplements, these have been shown to be beneficial in tempering symptoms of menopause:

• Polyphenols. Certain polyphenols have been shown to have some HRT-like benefits without the drawbacks, and are associated with a lowered risk of heart disease. Royal Macha seems to be an amazing adaptogenic herbal solution for menopause that has helped many women. Be sure to avoid the inexpensive ones, as they typically don’t work. Get the real deal from Peru.

• Omega 3 fats. You’ll also want to get plenty of omega-3 fats. A high quality animal-based omega-3 supplement, such as krill oil, can be far more effective and beneficial than fish oil.

• Black Cohosh may help regulate body temperature and hot flashes.

Implementing these lifestyle changes will help control symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, without resorting to hormone replacement.

Related Links:

Winning Tactics for Surviving Menopause -- And What You Should Know about Hormone Replacement

Healthy Lifestyle Reduces Menopause Risks

If You're Heading for Menopause, Read This Article Now!

Is Your Stomach Hijacking Your Health?

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Fw: Check out Chow Down: Robert Kenner's 'Food, Inc.' - indieWIRE

Chow Down: Robert Kenner's "Food, Inc." by Michael Rowin (June 8, 2009) A scene from Robert Kenner's "Food, Inc." Image courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. If we are what we eat, we're in big trouble according to Robert Kenner's enlightening if not groundbreaking documentary "Food, Inc." Following contemporary mainstream documentary filmmaking's popular recipe of equal parts talking head interviews and field reporting, "Food, Inc." engages in investigations and studies that have been around for a while now about the steroidal industrialization of American food production: it's no surprise that authors Eric Schlosser ("Fast Food Nation") and Michael Pollan ("The Omnivore's Dilemma") are the film's two major presences. But "Food Inc." is important in scope if not discovery, and the large territory it surveys allows it to make crucial connections between the act of buying groceries and illegal immigration, corporate patented seed, and tainted food. Kenner begins by disabusing viewers of both the myth of the average supermarket's plethora of choices and the false image of agrarian American (resplendent sunsets over heartland farms, et al) sold by what the film calls the "industrial food system." A little more than half a century ago fast food restaurants, and in particular the juggernaut known as McDonald's, brought about an assembly line-like organization to food producers in which uniformity and cheapness of product trumped sound method and quality. Now three or four giant corporations control the meat industry, and the "Your way, right away" demand for more and faster food has resulted in drastic changes in the way animals are raised and slaughtered. A Southern chicken farmer who grows birds for Tyson can't let Kenner's crew venture into his coops—his employers won't allow him. Why? When another farmer, Carole, fed up with the silence she's been pressured to keep, lets Kenner in, we find out: the instituted conditions are deplorable, with sick chickens unable to move, dead carcasses piled high, and so on. This is nothing revelatory: we've seen similar exposes for years now. "Food, Inc." goes a step further, however, by showing the consequences. We no longer live in the age of "The Jungle" when muckraking could more directly lead to regulation, and Kenner points out how the regulators are now comfortably in bed with the companies they should be regulating. This makes all the more tragic the death of someone like Barbara Kowalcyk's young son Kevin, who earlier this decade died of e coli from a seemingly innocuous fast food burger—the eradication of its replication looks exceedingly dim, and even Kowalcyk won't say on camera what food she eats for fear of corporate reprisal. There are further horrific and nauseating firsthand accounts (overcrowded animals forced to graze in pools of manure, holes drilled through living cows to gain easy access to their stomachs), but "Food, Inc." is even more interesting beyond the slaughterhouse. For instance, the ubiquity of engineered corn in animal feed and market products leads to bigger problems—cows aren't supposed to eat it but do so because it's cheaper—while working class American families increasingly center their diets around bad calories because those are the ones so heavily subsidized by the industry. Diabetes is on the rise, illegal labor is exploited within dehumanizing plants (these same workers have been driven to the U.S. in greater numbers ever since NAFTA flooded Mexico with cheap corn), and corporations that control seed patents legally intimidate and ruin farmers who use alternatives. "Food, Inc." would be merely pessimistic if it didn't offer some solutions to these problems, but it may have put all its eggs in one basket, so to speak, by going with organic farming and food production as its sole corrective to industrial malfeasance. A few passionate organic farmers interviewed for the film convincingly preach the virtues of small, properly operated farms that don't have to compromise their methods even when in contract with large corporate suppliers. But now that the market for organic food, and organic dairy especially, has bottomed out due to the recession, the film's optimism in this regard comes across as a little naive. Kenner may not have been able to predict the current economic crisis and all its repercussions while making his documentary, but some sort of plan B might have been explored by a film otherwise so thorough in describing a broken system. Yet while I could have also done without the film's hippie-ish, self-righteous coda—which uses titles and a live rendition of "This Land Is Your Land" to exhort viewers to lobby for and purchase safe, healthy food—"Food, Inc." is mostly much better than that: an informative, fascinating seeking out of compelling human evidence of the repercussions of what Schlosser calls "the food-industrial complex." Click here: Chow Down: Robert Kenner's 'Food, Inc.' - indieWIRE   http://www.indiewire.com/article/chow_down_robert_kenners_food_inc/   I'm sure you've heard of this film but just in case, I'm forwarding some links about it because I think this is the "real" "Secret" and maybe even a bigger one than we should ever be comfortable with. You can, of course also do a search and get more info. I'm going to be sure to see the film.   http://robertkennerfilms.com/films/files/detail_current.php   Food Inc.  (in theaters as of June 12)   Check out the interview too (which I found very disturbing..involves the illegal immigrants as well as our health costs that are a result of the current farming situation) Please be sure to listen to this as your health and that of those you love may depend on it.   This is especially important if you have children in school or know anyone who eats....   http://airamerica.com/content/robert-kenner-interview

Healthy Legacy: Safer Products, Made Safely | Clean Water Action

Healthy Legacy: Safer Products, Made Safely

Toxic Products: Threats to Water & Health

Majority of Chemicals not Tested

Awareness is growing about the presence of toxic chemicals in our consumer products and the risks these chemicals pose to our health and the health of the environment. Over 80,000 chemicals are in production in the U.S. Very few have regulations governing their release to the environment or are subject to monitoring. In addition, less than ten percent of these chemicals have been tested for their effect on human health.

Toxins in Consumer Products

Due to improved detection methods, we are discovering new chemicals in our air, water, sediment and biota. Examples include: flame retardants, plasticizers, pesticides, fluorinated surfactants and others. These chemicals are used in our electronic equipment, baby bottles, personal care products, non-stick pans, plastic children's toys and many other products. As science has improved we're finding toxic contaminants in common products we use everyday. And they are making their way from products into our environment and our bodies.

Impacts on Water & Health

Water Contamination

Just as mercury containing products contributed to mercury pollution in the Great Lakes and other waterways, consumer product chemicals provide an equal threat to the health of our waters. While contamination from products containing mercury has decreased in the Great Lakes by 96% due to mercury product bans, concentrations of flame retardants increased exponentially between 1980 and 2000, doubling every three years.

Municipal sewage treatment facilities are a major source of water contamination from many types of chemicals. Chemicals from personal care products for example, are rinsed down the drain or excreted as waste and end up at sewage treatment facilities. These facilities are not designed to specifically remove these chemical compounds and as a result, many are released into the environment. Other sources of environmental contamination are industrial manufacturing releases and the release of chemicals from consumer products.

Hormone Disruption in Fish & People

Certain chemicals disrupt the hormone system and examples of this disruption have been observed in fish below municipal sewage treatment outflows. Effects included reduced reproductive ability and intersex gonads (female ovary tissue was found distributed throughout the male testes). Hormone disrupting chemicals include phthalates (found in vinyl children's toys) and bisphenol A (used in may baby bottles and reusable water bottle.

These hormone disrupting chemicals also impact humans. Bisphenol A and phthalates harm reproductive and developmental health and they do so at low levels. Children and fetuses are at greatest risk because exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals during critical times in development can result in life long adverse health impacts.

Additive Effects of Multiple Chemical Exposure

Other chemicals promote cancer development in fish. A recent study by Oregon State University found juvenile rainbow trout exposed to a known carcinogen and then exposed to PFOA (a chemical commonly used in non-stick cookware) developed liver cancer in 60 to 70 percent of the trout sampled. In contrast, only 10 to 30 percent of trout exposed only to the carcinogen developed cancer. This demonstrates how exposure to multiple chemicals can have an additive effect, in this case doubling the trout's incidence of cancer. People are similarly exposed to thousands of different chemicals and their combined impact on our health is unknown.

Healthy Legacy Coalition

Clean Water Action Alliance is determined to help Minnesotans achieve a healthy legacy. Working with 29 organizations from across the state in the Healthy Legacy Coalition, we promote healthy lives by supporting the production and use of everyday products without toxic chemicals. We advocate for consumer education, business leadership, and protective policies to advance safe alternatives in Minnesota.

Solutions

Current policies and practices are failing us. To leave a healthy legacy for our children, we need safe products and safe ways to make them. We have to stop using some toxic substances, develop new processes and substances that prevent harm, and protect future generations by making a transition to safe products and production.
Many companies are already beginning to use safer substances to make products. Many cities and states are beginning to require them. Minnesota can take action too with laws phasing out toxic chemicals and investment in initiatives that pave the way to safer products and a thriving economy.

Take Action: Create a Healthy Legacy for Minnesota

South St. Paul ECFE parents attend Healthy Home Party

Educate your community: Host a free Healthy Home Party in your home, church, school or other organization. At Healthy Home Parties you learn about products that contain chemicals of concern, their safer alternative and steps you can take in your home and community to create a healthy environment. Contact Kim LaBo to schedule a party in your community.
Use your purchasing power: Research products before you go to the store and buy non-toxic products. By purchasing safe products you can influence what products stores sell.

Tell your legislator to support protective policies: Contact your state legislators and let them know you want people and products to be free of toxic chemicals. Support Healthy Legacy's efforts to phase out toxic chemicals here in Minnesota.

Support the creation of safe chemicals: Encourage businesses to develop and use safer chemicals. Learn how green chemistry can help us transition to safer chemicals.

Happiness Boosters

Joe Vitale, PhD

Hypnotic Marketing, Inc.

ost people say they want to be happier, but how can they get there when they’re focused on what’s wrong instead of what’s right? Here’s terrific advice from Joe Vitale, PhD, president of Hypnotic Marketing, Inc. (www.mrfire.com), and author of Life’s Missing Instruction Manual (Wiley)...

Don’t listen to negative self-talk. You can’t stop your thoughts, but you don’t have to listen to them. When a troubling thought intrudes, remind yourself that "it’s just a thought, and I can let it go." You may need to enlist a friend or coworker to keep an ear open for negative comments. Ask him/her to ask you, "Do you really believe that?"

Focus on the positive. There is no rule that says you must be depressed when life hits a rough stretch. Being unhappy won’t help fix your problems, but it will make your life less pleasant while you endure them.

Don’t look to blame. Blaming others won’t improve your life. Rather than ask, "Whose fault is this?" ask, "What can I do to make the best of this situation?"

Change your ways. Your "nature" is just the role you’re currently playing. If you don’t like being considered argumentative, for example, pick another role. To change your nature, change the way you act. The new behavior might feel phony at first, but keep at it and it can become your nature.

Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Joe Vitale, PhD, president of Hypnotic Marketing, Inc. (www.mrfire.com), and author of Life’s Missing Instruction Manual (Wiley).

THE HAPPINESS STUDY

Use Your Mood to Improve the World

Good health can be both the cause and consequence of being happy. That's why two pioneering scientists wanted to see if they could actually measure how happiness works in groups. What they discovered took everyone by happy surprise -- the happiness of others, even those you don't know, has a direct influence on your happiness.

The coauthor of this novel study on happiness, James Fowler, PhD, told me how the research was done. First his team combed through the records of 5,000 participants in the Framingham Heart Study, many of whom had identified one another as spouses, friends or neighbors. His team established a happiness baseline for these participants by checking their periodic answers to questions regarding their happiness over the past 20 years (1983 to 2003). Then they used a sophisticated statistical analysis tool to create a map of social connections among the initial 5,000 and other participants within the Framingham study. It showed how one person's happiness rippled like a network, creating a cascade of happiness that increased the likelihood of others being happy too.

They discovered that there were various degrees of influence depending on the degree of social connection and that it was quite predictable. For example, within your social network, the happiness of someone with whom you have frequent and regular personal contact, called an immediate social contact (for instance, your spouse or closest nearby friend), increases the likelihood of your happiness by an average of 15%. The happiness of a second-degree contact (for instance, your closest friend's spouse) increases your chances for happiness by 10%, while the happiness of a third-degree contact (your closest friend's friend's friend) increases it by 6%. In other words, your happiness is directly influenced by strangers.

MORE SPECIFIC LEARNINGS FROM THE HAPPINESS STUDY

• Proximity is key. The closer your happy friends and family live to you, the greater the probability that their happiness will affect you. For example, the happiness of your next door neighbor is more influential than the happiness of a neighbor who lives down the street.

• More social connections adds to your happiness. The bigger your social network of nearby happy friends and family, the greater the likelihood of your happiness.

• Unhappy people cluster together in unhappy networks. As the saying goes, misery loves company.
  

• Whether or not you were happy in the past and whether your social contacts are happy are more important predictors of happiness than your income, gender or education.

• Happiness is more powerful than unhappiness. The happiness of a friend increases the probability of your happiness by 9%... while his unhappiness decreases the chances of your happiness by only 7%.

• It's not fleeting. The impact of another's happiness on your happiness lasts about a year, on average, before fading.

HAPPINESS 2.0: ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS

Dr. Fowler and his coauthor Nicholas Christakis, MD, PhD, MPH, are now looking at the question of whether happiness spreads the same way via the Internet, specifically using the Facebook network. They assumed that those who posted smiling pictures of themselves with smiling friends were happy. Since Facebook automatically tags or uploads your photos to those registered as your "friends," they were able to trace the paths of these happy pictures. They found that smiling friends had photos of other smiling friends and so on and so on. (People who didn't smile in their photos, didn't have photos with friends who smiled, who in turn also didn't have photos of smiling friends.) Again -- happiness begets happiness and the same goes for unhappiness. Next they'll study how contagious online happiness turns out to be.

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE

Dr. Fowler himself has been moved by his findings. "I think our study shows that the best thing we can do for ourselves is to connect to friends and family," says Dr. Fowler. "I have been personally affected by the study -- I have now seen the evidence that my happiness potentially ripples out and touches the lives of dozens or even hundreds of other people. In this very challenging time, creating a ripple of happiness can result in a tidal wave of change."

Source(s):

James H. Fowler, PhD, professor of political science, University of California-San Diego.

Caffeine: Health Benefits, Health Risks: Health Newsletter

Caffeine: Health Benefits, Health Risks

Date: 3/30/2009
Posted By: Jon Barron

Caffeine -- it's the world's most popular drug. People drink it with alcohol to ramp up the effect. They drink it after alcohol to sober up. They take it to get rid of headaches, cure cancer, and prevent Parkinson's. Then again, the state of California is looking to put warning labels on any product that contains added caffeine. So what gives; is caffeine saint or sinner, miracle drug or prenatal nightmare?

In truth, it's all of the above. The devil, as usual when it comes to natural substances, lies in the details. And that's what we're going to explore in this newsletter, the truth behind caffeine.

The world's most popular drug

Pure caffeine is a bitter-tasting white powder that looks a lot like cornstarch. It is moderately soluble in water at body temperature and readily soluble in boiling water. It was first isolated from coffee in 1820, after which it was quickly recognized that the mood-and-behavior-altering properties of both coffee and tea depended upon caffeine. Whether it's in the form of coffee, tea, chocolate, kola nut chewables, guarana, or yerba matte, hundreds of millions of people around the world (including 90% of Americans) start their days with a jolt of caffeine or use a jolt during the day to keep them "going." And yet, almost no one who consumes it knows much about it. As a point of clarification, not all forms of caffeine are the same. Depending on what other alkaloids and antioxidants come with it or how it's bound with fiber, the "caffeine experience" can be quite different from beverage to beverage. Each caffeine complex actually has a different name depending on its source such as guaranine as found in guarana, mateine as found in mate, and theine as found in tea. Another point of distinction is that not all caffeine is actually caffeine. Chocolate, for example, contains theobromine, a very close relative of caffeine -- but only 1/10 as stimulating.

Although caffeine is not addictive in the same sense that many hard drugs can be considered addictive, it definitely affects the brain and body and stimulates them in a manner similar to the amphetamines such as cocaine. They all work by blocking adenosine's ability to slow nerve cell activity in preparation for sleep, and instead increase the speed of nerve cell activity and of the neuron firing in the brain. (The caffeine molecule is structurally similar to adenosine, and binds to adenosine receptors on the surface of cells without activating them -- an "antagonist" mechanism of action.) And if this were not enough by itself to keep you awake, the increased neuron firing in the brain causes the pituitary glands to release hormones that tell the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline, which gives your body a boost, so it can remain active and alert.

Another effect of blocking adenosine is that it causes blood vessels in the brain to constrict, which also serves to prevent the brain and body from sleeping. (As a side note, it's probably worth mentioning that the ability of caffeine to close blood vessels in the brain is why many pain relievers contain caffeine. If you have a vascular headache, the caffeine in Anacin, for example, will shut down the blood vessels, thus easing the pain.) And finally, both caffeine and cocaine increase dopamine production in the brain, so you experience a temporary "high." Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that activates "pleasure centers" in the brain and, quite simply, makes you feel "good." Naturally, the pleasurable effect produced by dopamine manipulation plays a major role in caffeine addiction.

And speaking of addiction, as I mentioned in the last paragraph, caffeine is not an addictive drug in the same sense as cocaine and/or heroin. Nevertheless, because of caffeine's role as an adenosine antagonist, anyone who consumes as little as 300 mg of caffeine a day (the equivalent of just 3 cups of drip coffee) will suffer withdrawal symptoms if they abruptly cut off their caffeine supply. The problem is that the bodies of individuals who regularly consume caffeine adapt to the continual presence of the drug by substantially increasing the number of adenosine receptors in the central nervous system in an attempt to compensate. This is known as the "tolerance effect." This makes the body much more sensitive to adenosine -- and consequently less sensitive to caffeine. In effect, this forces you to consume more and more caffeine over time to get the same stimulatory effect. On the other hand, any reduction in caffeine intake will effectively increase the normal physiological effects of adenosine because there are now so many more receptor sites created by the caffeine in the first place. The problem is that as caffeine clears those sites, they will be free to take in adenosine, but at an accelerated rate because there are so many more of them. The net result is unwelcome withdrawal symptoms including fatigue, depression, irritability, tremors, jumpiness, not to mention deprivation of deep sleep, and, of course, headaches, as the blood vessels in the brain begin to once again dilate.

Caffeine facts

Thanks to the popularity of energy drinks, caffeine is now omnipresent, but its level of concentration can vary widely. A piece of chocolate may contain as little as 5mg, whereas some energy drinks may contain as much as 160 mg. And for that matter, some medications and diet pills can run as high as 200 mg of caffeine. Buzz city!!!

One of the major problems with caffeine is that it can severely impact sleep patterns. Yes, if you have a morning cup of coffee, 75% of it will clear your body by the time you go to bed. But if you have a couple of cups of drip coffee in the morning, that means you will still be going to sleep with some 50 mg still percolating in your veins -- more than enough to disrupt the depth and quality of your sleep. And if you drink coffee throughout the day, or as an afternoon pick-me-up, the level in your blood at bedtime will climb dramatically. So while, yes, you may yet fall asleep, it is likely the quality of that sleep will not be up to par.

Another problem is that caffeine is a diuretic and can dehydrate you. Some experts claim that the fluid you consume in drinking coffee or energy drinks more than compensates for the fluid you lose through extra urination, but the facts don't bear that out. Claims to the contrary are based on erroneous studies on dehydration and misleading sound bites.

Caffeine and alcohol don't mix -- either while drinking, or for sobering up after drinking. The problem is that caffeine is a stimulant, whereas alcohol is a depressant -- complete opposites. That means that caffeine doesn't negate the effects of alcohol; it only makes you "think" it does. Consuming caffeine creates the impression that you're getting sharper and more sober. But the truth is your reaction time and judgment are still impaired. Mixing alcohol and caffeine make you more likely to have accidents -- either in your car or while operating heavy machinery.

There is also the problem that there are at least 32 epidemiological studies of caffeine that have found an increased risk of adverse developmental or reproductive outcomes. To put that in layman's terms, studies have linked caffeine to both lowered birth weight and a significant increase in birth defects.
And caffeine is a growing problem for kids. The consumption of soft drinks by children has literally doubled in the past 35 years, with soda replacing milk. A 2003 study of Columbus, Ohio middle schoolers found some taking in an astounding 800 milligrams of caffeine a day -- more than twice the recommended maximum for adults of 300 milligrams. And that was in 2003, before the energy drink craze hit full bore. With the advent of energy drinks in the last five years, those numbers have only grown.

So how much caffeine is too much?

According to the Mayo Clinic, for most adults, moderate doses of caffeine -- 200 to 300 milligrams (mg), or about two to four cups of brewed coffee a day -- aren't harmful. But heavy use -- more than 500 to 600 mg a day, or about four to seven cups of coffee -- can cause a whole host of problems, including:

• Insomnia
• Nervousness
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Nausea or other gastrointestinal problems
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Muscle tremors
• Headaches
• Anxiety

Caffeine and the law

There's a popular song from the last 40 years that goes, "I fought the law, and the law won." When it comes to caffeine and caffeine enhanced drinks, that may turn out to be remarkably prescient. A couple of years ago, the State of California announced that state environmental health officials were considering whether or not the caffeine found in soda and energy drinks was harmful to your health, especially for pregnant women. In addition, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment is considering placing warning labels on caffeine enhanced drinks if California Health Officials actually conclude that caffeine is a harmful substance.

And if that were not enough, the State of Utah announced earlier this month that they are considering taxing caffeine as a new stream of revenue for the state.

Make no mistake -- whether either of these initiatives ever goes live or not is irrelevant. The bottom line is that caffeine is now in legislative crosshairs around the world. Europe already requires a warning label on high caffeine energy drinks, and France has actually banned Red Bull.

Caffeine -- the miracle drug?

So much for the negatives. Caffeine/coffee also has a bright side. At least six studies have shown that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three studies showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research has shown that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of colon and liver cancer by some 25%, slash the risk of skin cancer by some 40%, drop the risk of liver cirrhosis by 22%, and lower the risk of gallstones by nearly half.

Coffee might even offset some of the damage caused by other vices. Some research indicates that people who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don't.

There's also some evidence that the caffeine in coffee may help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities.

And of course, caffeine is widely used for its stimulating and alertness properties, as well as its ability to enhance athletic performance.

Note: not all of the benefits associated with drinking coffee or tea can necessarily be attributed to caffeine. In many cases, they might be specific to the antioxidants found in those beverages (see below).

So, caffeine yes -- caffeine no?

As I mentioned at the top of the newsletter, when it comes to caffeine, the devil is in the details. With that in mind, let me offer my recommendations.

• Natural caffeine is preferable to "added" caffeine. Natural caffeine comes packaged with a number of powerful antioxidants such as:
• Chocolate: flavonoids, procyanidins, epicatechin, cocoa phenols.
• Tea: epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin. Not to mention theanine, which is not an antioxidant, but rather, a profoundly beneficial amino acid.
• Coffee: chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and melanoidins.
• The Mayo Clinic says under 300 mg a day is fine. I set the figure much lower -- at about 100 mg a day. That still allows for 3 cups of green tea a day. The exception to this guideline is that if you take your caffeine bound to fiber, as in guarana (not guarana extract), the caffeine releases over time rather than in powerful bursts, which allows you to consume more without the negative side effects.
• Don't use caffeine as part of a daily ritual such as "every morning" to start the day. Use it selectively, if possible, to get a boost only when needed. And take at least two days off each week -- totally caffeine free -- to allow all caffeine to clear from your body on a weekly basis.
• And as much as possible avoid consuming caffeine while pregnant.

Incidentally, one of the reasons for this newsletter is that this past month has been Caffeine Awareness Month. And speaking of caffeine awareness, check out the caffeine calculator at CaffeineAwareness.org, which will calculate how much caffeine you personally are consuming each day.

Use natural substances such as spring water, whole fresh foods and spices to strengthen your body

Scientists Tracking Path Between Emotions and Health It's interesting to see that the concepts of Chinese medicine -- in particular the interplay of mind, body and spirit (emotion) and their role in health as well as disease -- are beginning to seep into mainstream medicine. Here in the Western world, physicians have been trained to separate mental, physical and emotional symptoms. In contrast, Chinese medicine views the patient as a whole, with each part intimately connected. Now, here in the US, an increasing number of studies tie emotional health with physical ailments, in particular heart disease, cancer and autoimmune disorders... a step in the right direction, even though the scientific community continues to focus on finding the physiological "root" of illness as they apply their cause-effect mentality in an attempt to identify, isolate and manage "the problem." But the Chinese take a very different approach, looking to the whole body system and the concept of balance in every aspect, including between emotions and the physical self. THE CHINESE VIEW OF THE WORLD I spoke with Jeffrey Zimmerman, OMD, doctor of Chinese medicine, practitioner of acupuncture and founder of the OptiMotion system of body alignment, who explained that in Chinese medicine, feeling any emotions intensely is considered an imbalance. When there is balance among the mind, body and spirit, everything that happens, good and bad, is processed naturally, in a fluid way. It's all experienced as normal, without great intensity. Getting "stuck" in emotions is what blocks energy, inviting or creating an opportunity for illness and unrest. Chinese medicine asserts that each organ has an emotional spectrum. A Chinese medicine practitioner asks a patient about his/her state of mind and identifies relationships between the responses and the internal organs. The concept is that when one emotional state dominates, smooth flow of energy (known as qi) to specific organs is impeded, so the emotion and the organ must be treated concurrently. FEAR: The kidneys and the work they do, including elimination of waste, are associated with strength and willpower -- and on the negative end of the spectrum, with fear. GRIEF: The lungs and respiratory system are connected to our sense of order and can move along to perfectionism and, at the opposite end, grief. ANGER: The liver, which filters toxins, supports planning and decision-making -- the skills needed to manage life well. At the far end of the spectrum, the liver is connected to anger. SADNESS/JOY: The heart is the center of the body and soul and not surprisingly, is connected to sadness as well as to joy. WORRY: The stomach/spleen, responsible for digestion, can be the source of sympathy on one end, worry on the other. CONNECTING THE DOTS: EMOTIONS AND ILLNESS The emotional-physical ties are not as direct and simplistic as Westerners would like them to be, but the dots can indeed be connected. To better understand how, I spoke with Kathryn White, PhD, LAc, a practicing psychologist and acupuncturist who is the president and chief academic officer, American University of Complementary Medicine (Beverly Hills, California), which focuses on what she calls Chinese Classical Medicine (CCM), one of many different forms of practicing the ancient art. She told me that at the heart of CCM is the concept that all disease has roots in a need to change in one of three basic aspects of life -- physical, emotional or lifestyle -- that comes up against an inability or unwillingness to do so. Sickness can be an expression of these conflicts. One simple illustration: Chinese medicine respects the body's natural ability to expel toxins by vomiting them up, sneezing them out or through urination or defecation. Medicine that treats the symptoms gets in the way of this natural process, sending the toxins from the now-suppressed symptoms into the body's energy channels where ultimately they can get stuck and cause serious disease. Treatment must address the entire person, not just the symptoms. LESSONS FROM CCM Both Dr. White and Dr. Zimmerman have suggestions for using these basic concepts to promote personal health and well-being and eliminate toxicity that intrudes on our mind, body or spirit. Here are some of their tips... Live in harmony with the seasons. The winter months can be valuable for rest and rejuvenation... in the spring, you can ramp up activity. Summer is the time to expand and expend the most energy in many activities, while in autumn we can benefit by slowing down and retreating from all that busyness. Follow the light. "In the old days people got up with the sun and went to bed soon after it set," says Dr. White. "The instinct to follow light is a good one -- it both increases longevity and protects health." One idea she suggests is to become aware of your mental and physical posture throughout the day and learn to use it consciously. To gear up for productivity at work in the morning, for example, many people strike the type-A jutting-chin, fast-talking, vigorous-thinker posture... which can be physically, mentally and spiritually exhausting if maintained all day. Make an effort to ease into a more relaxed posture, slowing down your speech, thoughts and pace when you go home at night. By the time you are ready for bed, you should have relaxed and slowed to the point that you are truly ready for sleep... if so, it will come easily to you. When illness sets in, respect your body and mind -- take time off to heal. Within reason, it's a good idea to "tough it out" if you have a cold, for instance -- let the cough and congestion run their course untreated by drugs, so your body can rid itself of the pathogen. Use natural substances such as spring water, whole fresh foods and spices to strengthen your body and provide the resources required for recovery. Recognize that your disease may be happening for a reason. Perhaps you are working or playing too hard (or both) which is putting your body out of balance or maybe you are not taking proper care of yourself. Review and readjust for a better balance. Remember, true healing always involves increasing your awareness. Any illness is a call and an opportunity to evaluate your internal state. Are you heartsick about something... suffering from anxiety... in a troubled relationship? This is your chance to sort through the problems that are creating toxicity for you and figure out what might help you heal, in every way. Use daily reflection as a conscious tool for balancing your energy. "Think about what things are truly important to you and how you are using your chi (spiritual and physical energy) to work toward those goals," suggests Dr. White. "Ask if you are getting caught up in a spiral of need for things that don't really matter." The principles of Chinese medicine should not be understood to mean that having physical, emotional or lifestyle problems indicates you are doing something wrong. Life, it teaches, is school and it gives all of us the lessons we need to learn. Deal regularly with your issues and be willing to confront whatever comes your way. This will make you less likely to have pathology and more likely to obtain real and deep meaning from your life. Source(s): Kathryn White, PhD, LAc, a psychologist and acupuncturist, is the president and chief academic officer, American University of Complementary Medicine, Beverly Hills, California.  Jeffrey Zimmerman, OMD, once a classical musician and now a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, acupuncturist, martial artist and Qigong master in Westport, Connecticut. www.jeffreyczimmerman.wordpress.com/.