Increased risk of birth defects, cancer and cardiovascular disease are not typically associated with the consumption of “wholesome” foods such as fruit juice and rice. After all, these menu options are 100% natural and frequently recommended as part of a healthy, low fat meal plan for adults and children alike. However, even if you set aside the high glycemic (ie blood sugar elevating) nature of these foods, you should still consider the possibility that they may be contaminated with the heavy metal arsenic.

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Wheatgrass juice (Triticum aestivum) is one of the more popular “super greens” included in dietary supplements and offered in juice and smoothie bars throughout the world. What’s more, if you browse the Internet you’ll find countless sites dedicated to extolling the virtues of daily wheatgrass therapy. But, anecdotal testimonials and brisk sales aren’t exactly a solid basis for making an informed decision about any given food or supplement. Fortunately, there is also a growing body of scientific research that can assist anyone interested in seriously evaluating wheatgrass.

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Back in the 1980′s, my childhood home came equipped with a sauna in the master bedroom. At the time, my parents didn’t consider sauna bathing to be a particularly healthful practice. In their minds, it was more of an elective activity from which some people derived pleasure and/or relaxation. As such, the wood lined sauna in our home was used exclusively as a make shift storage unit. However, over the past few decades a great deal of scientific research has been conducted on the health effects and risks associated with carefully controlled sauna exposure. A specific form, known as Waon Therapy, has recently been the subject of a considerable amount of positive attention.

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There’s a fine line between being informed about the dangers in the environment and being paranoid about every move you make. An imbalance in this perspective could lead one not to exercise because there’s pollution in the air, avoid fruits and vegetables because they contain pesticide residues and even to become a recluse for fear of germs spread through casual contact with other human beings. Clearly, a balance needs to be struck. Read more »

No matter where in the world you’re reading this, you’re almost certainly aware of the crisis that’s unfolding in Japan. Among other things, the tragic events of this past week have drawn much attention to two otherwise obscure substances that are used to protect against radioactive fall out. Potassium iodide is the better known of the two. Prussian blue isn’t making much news yet, but that may change as the level of concern about radiation exposure continues to spread.
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The way you perceive things can dramatically influence the results you find. I think many people accept this concept as true to some extent. But how many of us actually keep this philosophy in mind when applying it in practical terms? For example – when psychiatrists throughout the world prescribe a medication for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or clinical depression, most patients are inclined to believe that it will relieve their symptoms. However, would the same mindset hold true if a physician “prescribed” eating more fish or supplementing with fish oil for the same conditions? Setting aside the relative efficacy of the respective treatments, it’s important to understand that the way you think about any given therapy is likely to affect the outcome – for better or for worse.
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Sometimes the best way to draw attention to a specific issue is to simply lay out the stark facts and figures. It is estimated that nearly 50,000 people will die in 2009 from colorectal cancer in the United States alone. If you look at the combined incidence of colorectal cancer in both men and women, it is the second leading cause of cancer related mortality. In the US, that means that over 106,000 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer and about 41,000 will learn that they have rectal cancer. What’s more, governmental statistics estimate that the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is about 1 in 19 or 5.3%. These numbers may seem shocking because these forms of cancer simply do not receive as much attention as breast or prostate cancer for instance. But the news about colorectal cancer isn’t all negative. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, the “death rate” from colorectal cancer is on the decline, perhaps due to better screening and removal of pre-cancerous colon polyps. But, as always, I believe the most promising avenue in the field of cancer research involves the safe and judicious use of “preventive medicine”.
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Some types of foods are easier to incorporate into one’s diet than others. If your doctor advises you to eat more fruits or vegetables, you can quite easily select the varieties that you like best and up your intake. The same can be said for other commonly recommended health foods such as fish, nuts and seeds. But adding more fiber into your daily routine requires some planning because not all fruits and vegetables contain much and animal based foods are completely devoid of it. In my opinion, being reminded of the importance of fiber, while becoming more aware of foods that are abundant in this dietary component is the key to making it a priority.
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When you think of the word ‘chemistry’ an image of a science lab filled with beakers, flasks and petri dishes probably comes to mind. But you don’t need a Ph.D., safety goggles or a white lab coat to apply the power of this science as it relates to food. There are already scientists hard at work doing research in the field of food chemistry. All we have to do is pay attention to the papers they publish in the medical literature.
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Juicing is one of the more popular ways to increase one’s consumption of fruits and vegetables. This nutritional strategy can support virtually any type of diet depending on the selection of produce. In addition, there’s a subset of the juicing crowd that employs this culinary technique in another capacity – as part of a detoxification and/or fasting regimen. It may surprise you to know that I’m not a big fan of juicing. However, I do support a slightly modified way of deriving many of the same benefits and more. My Healthy Monday tip of the week is to blend your fruits and vegetables instead of juicing them.
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The word “detoxification” is frequently mentioned in holistic circles. Perhaps the most important organ involved in this process is the liver. Without it, the body could not handle exposure to alcohol, environmental contaminants, junk food and even medications. The liver is responsible for promoting healthy blood (via the production of albumin and clotting factors) and combats fatigue by storing fat as an source of energy. Furthermore, it also aids in the absorption of life promoting nutrients such as CoQ10, Vitamins A, D, E and K. Simply put, without a properly functioning liver, one cannot live a vigorous life.
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Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you have too much to do in the time you have available? These days, that’s where I am. One way that I deal with such situations is to set up parameters for myself. I try to do it in a constructive manner which deflects the stress that often accompanies a typical time crunch. Instead of feeling as if I don’t have enough hours in the day, I think to myself: How can I do something different with the limited time I do have? What I usually come up with is a challenge. My challenge for today is to present three health promoting news items that are no longer than three sentences in length each – a sort of rapid fire version of my typical daily column.
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Breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day. It directly follows a period of fasting and sets the nutritional foundation for the waking hours to come. The tricky part is how to make the most of breakfast while still being mindful of practical considerations such as getting to school or work on time. In my experience, the key to overcoming this commonly cited hurdle is to prepare food in advance. But not just any food will do. A strategic mix of macronutrients is what your body thirsts for first in the morning. Today’s recipe delivers just that and a whole lot more. Read more »

Parents face many challenges trying to raise healthy children. Convincing kids to eat enough non-starchy vegetables is at the top of that list. This is no accident. Among other reasons, food manufacturers spend millions upon of millions of dollars “educating” the youth market on what’s cool to eat. But with a little creative parenting, there are ways of outsmarting finicky youngsters and junk food marketers at the same time. Read more »

The Internet is my medium of choice. It’s the primary tool I use to reach the very people I hope to affect in a positive way. However, this same platform is also being used by others in ways that can be hurtful. Sometimes the root of the damage stems from greed. I’m sure you’ve seen online advertisements for products that claim to effortlessly reverse Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and even extend your lifespan. Fortunately, many people recognize that those sales pitches are hyperbolic at best and downright unbelievable at worst. But what happens when you receive an email from a family member or friend that contains health related information that claims a miraculous medical cure? The person who sent the information obviously cares about you and isn’t asking for any financial compensation. In short, the advice given in such emails is coming “from the heart”. What could possibly be wrong with that? Read more »

The other night I found myself at a local card room. I was sitting at a “No-Limit Texas Hold ‘em” table playing poker with a motley group of strangers. Poker isn’t your standard form of gambling. It does involve a certain measure of luck, but it mostly requires a particular set of observational and social skills. It so happens that these same skills can be extremely beneficial in parts of life that extend far beyond the confines of the felt table, the clattering chips and shuffling cards. About half way through the evening, a rather gruff looking gentleman took a seat at the table. He looked like the kind of guy you wouldn’t want to upset or even look at the wrong way. But if there’s one lesson that poker teaches you it’s that you should never entirely trust the obvious. So I began chatting with this biker-type fellow as he devoured an enormous ice cream sundae with plenty of peanuts on top. In the course of about 15 minutes, he revealed to me that was suffering from terminal cancer. He didn’t much care about dressing well or shaving because he didn’t expect to be around for much longer. Talk about a punch to the gut! Read more »