The No Diet Blog

Swine Flu Reality Check

By Linda | April 29, 2009

If you believe the media, you’re probably thinking you and your family are headed for a flu virus that originated on a pig farm.   Some question the reality of this.

A total of 164 cases of swine flu have been confirmed worldwide. There has been one death, and that was in a young boy from Mexico.  In Mexico, where poor diet leaves immunity compromised, there have been 26 cases and 7 deaths.   To put that in perspective, each year aspirin (used correctly in the U.S.) results in roughly 500 deaths.  If you throw in painkillers, we’re talking close to 7600 deaths.   Another 1170 Americans die from lightening strikes.

Just a few years ago President Bush said 2 million people would die from the bird flu. Remember that?  It actually killed 257 people.  More than 100,000 people die per year from correct use of their medications.  Another 365,000 people die each year from poor diet and lack of exercise.

In 1976, 25 people died and hundreds were paralyzed or otherwise permanently injured — not from the dreaded swine flu — but from the swine flu vaccination! The flu pandemic never happened.

Do we have this in perspective?  And even if it is becomes a pandemic should you fight for the last dose of Tamiflu?

Nothing is better than this kind of paranoia for drug companies, especially makers of Tamiflu, a “treatment” that may reduce symptoms, and only by a day to a day-and-a-half.  Tamiflu is not a vaccine; it does not prevent the swine flu. Furthermore, it may leave you at higher risk of other infections.  Tamiflu also comes with 1800 potential  side effects, most being flu symptoms, the very things you want to avoid in the first place.  And your kids?  14 children have died from taking Tamiflu.

Most medical experts (especially those with no pharmaceutical ties) believe you can effectively protect yourself and your family from ALL infections through nutrition and lifestyle strategies.

Sign up for my Top Tips Newsletter for detail on prevention.  Here’s the summary.

Flu prevention strategies include: adequate vitamin D from sunlight; regular hand washing; avoidance of sugar; extra vitamin C, vitamin A and zinc; and a daily dose of raw garlic plus immune boosting herbs including astragalus, goldenseal and echinacea.  Colloidal silver is also antibacterial and antiviral.

Sign up for my monthly Top Nutrition Tips newsletter for detailed steps to block the flu.  Share your comments on this issue here, including your own prevention tips or reality checks.

Topics: Immunity, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Spring Greens: Cultivated, Wild and Free

By Linda | March 28, 2009

Many health complaints clear when we start eating leafy greens, including mustard and turnip greens, kale dandelion, broccoli, asparagus spinach and especially wild Spring greens. Greens are rich in age-fighting antioxidants, as well as folic acid, calcium and iron, nutrients common lacking in our diets.

Best of all, greens gently cleanse the liver, which is essential to health in Spring. Our livers become burdened with alcohol, stress, poor diet, pesticides and pollutants. Cleansing your liver can clear headaches, hay fever, itching, skin problems, bloating and indigestion, as well as irritability or anger. Your liver keeps your hormones balanced, so greens help your hormones as well.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, greens stimulate vital energy, or Qi. Greens are rich in chlorophyll, and thus magnesium, the center of the ATP molecule and the body’s energy source. Leafy greens not only energize us, they are calming. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels and muscles, helping to normalize blood pressure and calm the body and mind. Magnesium is one of the most commonly deficient minerals in our diets.

Research shows bones are strengthened more by a diet rich in vegetables than from dairy. The perfect balance of magnesium and calcium in leafy greens makes them the ideal bone-builder.

Most importantly to overall health, leafy greens fight inflammation, the underlying cause of diseases of age: heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, pain, cataracts and cancer. One of the beauties of Spring is this delicious medicine is in season, and potentially FREE.

FREE GREENS: This is the season for greens so not only are they are plentiful and less expensive in stores, but if you’re willing to find and pick them yourself, they’re free. Wild greens are among the most flavorful and nutritious of all greens. Check out your local hills or hiking trails for filaree, mallow, mustard greens, dock, or nettles (closer to the coast). Check out A Sonoma Garden blog for photos and discussion of some local (Sonoma county) wild edibles. They may also be in your neighborhood; I found many California greens growing in the Aegean.

Wild greens along Turkey’s coast made the most delicious mezes (little plates) of the Aegean. There, wild greens are boiled, drained, and drizzled with olive oil and lemon, then topped with fresh minced garlic. Wild greens are also delicious sautéed with garlic and olive oil, and served up as starters. My favorite are wild nettles, which are best boiled in broth and pureed into a creamy soup. Greens can be baked into quiches or cooked into eggs. Tender sweet greens, like chickweed and miners lettuce, can be tossed with walnuts into a tasty Spring salad.

Do you harvest your local edible plants? Share your experience here.

Topics: Flavors & Foods, Sustainable Food | No Comments »

Spice Cures

By Linda | February 27, 2009

Your spice shelf may hold the cure for your health complaints. Research now confirms what traditional populations have long observed; flavorful spices double as safe and effective medicines. Although many cultures use spices as medicines, in the U.S., your doctor could lose his or her medical license and spice sellers could be put out of business for recommending a spice cure. Since I am not a doctor or spice vendor, I’d like to share some long-enjoyed medicinal benefits of a few common spices.

Turmeric is rich in curcurmin, a yellow pigment that fights cancer, arthritis (and other pain), as well as Alzheimer’s disease. The curry-rich Indian diet is associated with far lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease. Turmeric regenerates liver cells, your body’s detox mechanism. Many consider turmeric to be the most powerful medicine in the spice world.

Garlic, when used freshly minced and raw, contains a medicinal compound called allicin, which kills parasites, harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi, as well as lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. Garlic is even effective against MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant menace found in hospitals and locker rooms. And drug-resistance is not an issue with garlic.

Cinnamon helps type 2 diabetics control blood sugar levels and may enable them to come off insulin. Just a half teaspoon per day also helps lower elevated cholesterol and triglycerides. Cinnamon also reduces pain in joints and improves memory and cognition.

Rosemary, thyme, peppermint, and eucalyptus can open sinuses better than a decongestant when their essential oils or fresh leaves are simmered in water and breathed deeply. These herbs also stimulate the brain and kill harmful bacteria.

Oregano and marjoram kill parasites and help digestion, upset stomach, coughs and congestion. Today, Turkish villagers make teas of the mountain oregano and marjoram leaves for digestive complaints, colds and congestion.

Ginger in foods and tea reduces inflammation and pain. I’ve had clients who claim it works as well or better than pain meds. Ginger tea works better than many anti-nausea drugs for motion sickness as well as being safe and effective for morning sickness. Ginger tea also aids digestion and warms the body on cold days.

If you receive my Top Health Tips, next issue will give you Tips for Flavoring with Spice Cures. Be sure to sign up on my home page if you aren’t receiving my newsletter to receive this.

Share your family’s herb and spice remedies here. Do you have a tea blend for reflux? for indigestion? Do you sip an herb blend for insomnia? Is there a spice blend passed down from your grandmother? Share it here.

Topics: Drugs, Flavors & Foods, Uncategorized, Vitamins vs. Drugs | 4 Comments »

How to Catch a Cold

By Linda | January 17, 2009

You are three times more likely to catch a cold if you sleep less than 7 hours a night, according to a new Carnegie Mellon University study. Researchers studied 153 volunteers locked in a hotel room with a cold virus. Those who failed to get at least 7 hours sleep had more sore throats, runny noses and congested heads than those more rested. Things got progressively worse with less time asleep.

If you’re worried about catching a cold or flu, there are a few things you can do for protection:

* Get eight hours of sleep. This also reduces obesity and diabetes risk.

* Cut out the sugar. A dose of sugar, even orange juice, reduces white blood cells’ ability to engulf germs by half

* Don’t get a flu shot. Vaccinations reduce immunity for all the other germs not vaccinated against.

* Load up on zinc and vitamin A rich foods, which boot immunity: grass fed meat and dairy, eggs, liver, oysters, and nuts.

* Get sunlight. Vitamin D from sunshine on skin also helps fight infections (as well as heart attacks, cancer and obesity).

* Take vitamin C several times a day. C keeps immunity strong.

* Use energy medicine to cope with immune suppressing emotions such as depression and fatigue.

What are your cold-fighting strategies??

Topics: Immunity, Uncategorized | 20 Comments »

Hangover Prevention and Liver Detox

By Linda | December 30, 2008

Champagne and revelry seem to be an integral part of New Year’s celebrations. In excess, of course, alcohol impairs the body, and most notably the liver. It doesn’t help your brain either. You may know the effects: headache, stomachache, jet lag-style fatigue, nausea and the gnawing feeling you did something stupid. The following are some tips to get you through this holiday with revelry yet minimum organ damage.

Topics: Cravings, Drugs, Mood, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Holiday Drug Dangers, Alternatives

By Linda | December 29, 2008

Drugs enable many to get through the holidays. Antacids, cold and flu meds, anti-depressants, and painkillers, are right up there with the eggnog. Unfortunately over-the-counter meds interact with prescription drugs and alcohol, leading to 2 million “adverse drug reactions” each year.

Reactions to properly prescribed dugs kill over 100,000 people per year in the U.S. Mistakes and overdose kill another 100,000. Doctors and drugs are considered the third leading caused of death in this country, according to the American Medical Association.

One of the joys of my work is seeing someone get off a drug, whether it is an anti-depressant, statins, insulin or antacids. Not only does one’s physical health improve, but so does his or her energy, mood and zest for life.

Drugs do not solve underlying health issues, and promote often-dangerous side effects. Drug company insiders even know this. I once gave a presentation to the R&D team for Enbrel, an arthritis drug. The team leader, who had arthritis herself, came to me saying “I won’t take this drug; help me with a natural alternative to pain.” Enbrel side effects include tuberculosis, cancer and other infections.

Recently I spoke at a Kaiser Permanente Symposium. One of the pharmaceutical companies ws promoting a bone-building drug. When the drug rep learned I was a nutritionist, he pulled me aside to ask my recommendation for a natural bone-builder for his wife. He didn’t want her on this drug. Side effects to the drug include blindness, back pain and erosion of the esophagus.

In this time of economic hardship and escalating medical care costs, why not research natural remedies to cure the problem, and get off drugs.

Natural Remedies to Drugs (check with your doctor before discontinuing prescribed drugs)

Anti-hypertensives………………..magnesium, exercise, relaxation, sunlight
Statins ………………………………..polycosanol, garlic, vitamin C, weight loss, cut the sugar
Antidepressants …………………..omega-3’s, digestive enzymes, B vitamins, St. John’s Wort, exercise, sunlight
Aspirin ……………………………….white willow bark extract
Pain meds for chronic pain ……omega-3’s, ginger, turmeric, cat’s claw, topical DMSO, capsaicin
Cancer drugs ……………………… DIM, indole-3 carbonyl, eliminate sugar and omega-6’s
Antacids ……………………………. probiotics, digestive enzymes, de-glycyrrhzinated licorice
Anti-anxiety drugs ……………… magnesium, low dose lithium, omega-3’s, exercise, plus a nerve herb complex (valerian, lemon balm, hops, poppy)

Reply with your own natural remedies here.

Topics: Drugs, Overeating, Sustainable Food, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Vitamins and Health: The Real Story

By Linda | November 24, 2008

A line-up of recent new studies show vitamin supplements to be worthless or even harmful and drugs to be healing. Don’t you think this is just a little suspicious? Thousands of studies before these have confirmed the OPPOSITE. The media seems to have us believe the latest study is the truth and that it doesn’t matter if studies published earlier show the opposite, nor that these studies are funded by drug companies.

So what’s really happening here? Correct vitamin and mineral use reduces disease. I’ve witnessed this repeatedly with clients, with observations of patients of my MD colleagues, and I’ve read confirmation published in scientific journals for over 25 years.

But these kind of results spell out economic loss for big pharma. If you read that vitamin E is worthless, you are more likely to fall for drug claims. Millions of dollars are spent on ads, and now public relations, to get you to take statins and other drugs. Some research articles are even ghost written by pharmaceutical companies.

Drug companies need you to buy drugs. They have huge reserves for “research” (and media advertising – which also plays a role in what gets published, especially in troubled economic times). We now know which forms of vitamins don’t work, and which do, and on which patients with which risk issues, and how much of a vitamin we need to make a difference. As a result, studies can easily be designed to convince the average layperson –i.e. you – that drugs are great and vitamins are worthless, or worse.

Nowhere is this more true than with vitamin E. Years ago researchers discovered that for vitamin E to be effective it had to be in a natural form: d alpha tocopherol, not dl alpha tocopherol (the synthetic form) or better yet, it should contain all four naturally occurring tocopherols. Studies using natural forms of vitamin E, as opposed to synthetic, show dramatic improvements in health.

The most recent vitamin E blasting came from the Physician’s Health Study II (funded in part by two pharmaceutical companies) with 14,641 men. Synthetic E was used, so as one would expect, the study reported no difference between cardiovascular events in men who took vitamin E vs. those who took no E. Should we believe this or should we believe a larger study published in 1993 with 39,910 men, which showed a 40% reduction in heart attack and heart attack death rates among men taking supplements of E. And then there was the even larger Nurses’ Health Study published in 1993, with 87,245 women, which showed a 31% reduction in risk of heart attacks among those taking vitamin E. Should we believe ANY of the 5 large observational studies, all of which show vitamin E supplements significantly reduce risk of heart attacks, including deaths, in men and women? Or what about the large studies showing natural vitamin E provides the greatest protection of all from heart attacks?

As for vitamin C having no effect in the Physicians Health Study II (above), most nutrition-oriented physicians know it takes more than 500 milligrams every other day to get results. We need a sustained blood level of vitamin C for optimum health. Otherwise you get rebound low vitamin levels on the off days. Why didn’t researchers try 1000mg or more, daily, an amount that has profound health benefits in other studies?

Did you see any mainstream articles on the recent study from U.C. Berkeley that showed vitamin C supplements reduce inflammation as effectively as drugs? Inflammation is the underlying issue in heart disease. The recent drug study that showed Crestor, a statin, reduced risk of heart disease among those with normal cholesterol levels actually produced results only in those with inflammation. Vitamin C has the same disease-blocking effect as Crestor, only instead of side effects such as muscle pain and weakness (found in 98% of Lipitor users) and fatigue, studies show vitamin C can prolong life in men by 6 years and in women by one year. Other studies show vitamin C reduces cancer risk, fatigue and vision loss. Why would you want to pay MORE and see weakness as a side effect?

Did you notice any articles in your local newspaper this past summer touting results of the massive Italian study, the GISSI study, which showed fish oil outperformed statins in preventing heart failure? Crestor did no better than a placebo in preventing chronic heart failure whereas fish oil significantly reduced risk. This study looked at one measly gram of fish oil in close to 7000 participants. Larger doses of fish oil consistently show even greater protection from heart disease. We hear medical experts statins should be added to our drinking water: Do you hear them saying we should put fish oil in the water?

One of the big pluses in using such natural substances, such as natural vitamin E and C and fish oil, over a patentable drug, is you don’t get side effects, plus there are generally multiple benefits, including longer lifespan. Side effects of statins include cognitive decline, memory loss, muscle weakness, fatigue, and digestive complaints. But no one makes big bucks from vitamin supplements.

The Economist, a respected magazine, reported in October that researchers are hired and funded according to where their studies get published. Prestigious journals are more likely to publish studies that “oversell” results than studies based on the best science. There is a bias toward studies that favor positive drug results. With this kind of special interest operating, you are unlikely to see favorable studies published on supplements and likely to see studies on the benefits of drugs.

Here are a few tips for evaluating media reports on research: Figure out where the funding came from. Remember, organizations such as the National Cancer Institute, get funding from drug companies. Second, check to see the form of supplement used. Is it natural or synthetic? Is the dose used high enough to produce results? And finally, look for the red flag “the study was halted early,” (found in the recent study on Crestor) as this allows drug-induced deaths and disease to go undetected.

Also, notice the TV ads on your favorite news station. I see a lot of drug ads. The U.S. is one if the few countries where this is legal. Don’t fall for their game.

Topics: Drugs, Vitamins, Vitamins vs. Drugs | 3 Comments »

Vitamin E: Cancer Cause or Cure?

By Linda | November 1, 2008

If you are to believe the recent news, taking vitamin E may lead to prostate cancer and taking selenium to diabetes, in men. The National Cancer Institute’s recent SELECT study was expected to show vitamin E reduced risk of prostate cancer in men, just as other studies show. The study was stopped early because men taking the vitamin E suffered slightly more cases of prostate cancer and those on the selenium had slightly more diabetes. No proof was shown however.

Here’s the rub. The vitamin E used in this study was the synthetic form: dl-alpha tocopherol acetate. If you have this form, throw it out. Health professionals who read the medical and nutrition literature have known for many years this form of vitamin E is toxic and may lead to cancer. It should be off the market. But it’s cheap and it helps mar the image of supplements that threaten pharmaceutical company interests.

Naturally occurring vitamin E is structurally different from this synthetic form used in this study; it contains four different tocopherols and four tocotrienols, all playing roles in health and protecting against cancer. Synthetic vitamin E is thought to create a deficiency of natural vitamin E. Thousands of studies show that natural vitamin E protects against cancer and many even show how it does, in other words the mechanism of cancer prevention.

Thousands of studies also show selenium also protects against cancer and many other viruses. Other studies show selenium reduces risk of diabetes. Unfortunately in this study the dose used was so low, it was unlikely to have any effect. In addition, this group of men were likely using a statin to control blood cholesterol. Statins block the antioxidant activity of selenium, leading to a host of potential health problems. These patients should have been accounted for.

A similar thing happened with studies on beta-carotene. Carotenes work as a team. Use of synthetic beta-carotene alone can lead to deficiencies of other carotenes and thus increased risk of health problems, especially in those with compromised health to begin with.

Why would researchers make these kinds of mistakes? Or are these mistakes?  Follow the money.  Just as in finance, many government leaders also represent industry. The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a federally funded research and development center, played an early role in development of many cancer drugs – two thirds of drugs approved by the FDA by 1995 in fact. The NCI is in partnership with pharmaceutical companies in funding research. Why would drug companies want an inexpensive, nonpatentable cancer-fighting product out there?  Natural vitamin E is bad for the drug business.

Topics: Vitamins, diets | 7 Comments »

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