August Newsletter 2013
Myth ‘busters’… after reading or hearing enough misinformation about health, it seems appropriate to set the record straight on a few things. People will tell you what they know to be true about health in casual conversation, often speaking with great certainty and conviction. The problem is that a lot of advice and information that is given simply isn’t true. Good research can either support or disprove some of these so-called “facts” about health. Anyone following
health-related advice and information for a while has surely seen some of these fads come – and then go (Corral Calcium comes to mind). One thing I look out for is HYPE; the greater the hype the more skeptical I think we should be. Following are some common health-related myths I’d like to dispel.
Myth: An acid environment in the body makes it more prone to cancer, but cancer can’t thrive in a “basic” environment. This statement is related to Ph in the body, and because people do tend to be acidic (too much meat or fast food, and/or not enough vegetables), it might sound legitimate at first. Next, the sales pitches come for something that will help your body maintain basic Ph, supposedly avoiding cancer. This premise is simply not true. Some cancers actually thrive in a basic environment, while others in an acidic one. Just about all of them thrive on sugar, as it is known to be the primary food of cancer. So, if you really want to protect yourself from cancer, avoid sugar. It won’t cost you anything and may actually save you a few pennies. Some cancers like protein instead of sugar, which is the reason cancer patients are often told to stop eating ALL animal products, including honey. If you get cancer, ceasing consumption of meat and other animal products is something to consider. Certainly avoid products that contain growth hormone and antibiotics. Some claim that following a strict vegan diet will prevent cancer. While not entirely true, a vegan diet does seem to greatly reduce the risk. Paul McCartney’s wife, Linda, was strictly vegan, and she died of breast cancer. Just one example, but it is a famous one. Later on, I will address how animal fat seems to have nutrients that are
protective of breast health.
Myth: Low fat/ low calorie diets are the healthiest. Around since the early 1960’s, this advice is based on two false premises: eating fat makes you fat, and calories are simply added up and subtracted in the body mathematically. Science assumed that a calorie of food for the body was a unit of measure comparable to what an ounce of gasoline is for a car. The notion still exists that a pound of weight loss will occur when 3,500 calories are eliminated from your diet, either through food deprivation, greatly increased exertion, or a
combination of the two. This issue was looked at only as a math problem with thermodynamics to back it up, and if true, a person could live on candy bars totaling less than 1200 calories daily and would lose weight (don’t try it, it won’t work). In reality, our
metabolism varies with the individual. If we were to compare our bodies to the engine of a car: an ‘economy body’ (my term) metabolizes proteins, carbohydrates and fats very differently (more slowly) than the ‘gas guzzler’ (also my term) body that metabolizes more
quickly. A lower metabolism seems to include a pancreatic/insulin reaction to carbohydrates that readily stores the energy as fat. A body with a higher metabolism is more likely to use the carbohydrates quickly and efficiently, and therefore seems to need carefully balanced amounts of protein to have and maintain steady energy. Another factor to consider is that metabolism (as well as other things) can change as we age.
Myth: Olive oil is okay but all the other fats are bad. In fact, butterfat (saturated animal fat), and lard have been found to be protective against breast and prostate cancer in relation to the same nutritional principle. Nutritionists today are pointing out that in the earlier 1900’s, people were not put on low fat diets, and breast cancer was a rare disease.
The nutrients vitamins A, C and D, coenzyme Q10, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), sphingomyelin, butyric acid, and carotene are all considered protective against breast cancer. All but vitamin C and carotene are derived from animal foods, particularly butter and fats from animals that graze. Animal-based nutrients promote breast health in many ways including thyroid and adrenal function. Corticosteroid hormones are secreted by the adrenal glands and help the body deal with stress, and like our sex hormones they are made from cholesterol. However, beware of Trans fatty acids from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils; they have been positively correlated with cancer found in organs that are rich in fat tissues, including the breasts and the prostate gland. Pay attention to whether or not the producing animals were allowed to graze, or were they only fed dry feed grain. What is termed “free-range” grazing is essential to the nutritional value of animal products.
Myth: Soy products are protective against cancers. During the 1990’s, soy consumption was recommended to women for treatment of menopausal symptoms because the soy
molecule mimicked estrogen in the body, and the PMS symptoms were believed to be
a result of lower estrogen production. Soy to the rescue! Alas, this advice proved to be wrong: not just lacking therapeutic benefit, soy actually can have detrimental effects on women’s health. Plant based soy estrogens such as genistein can stimulate breast cells to enter ‘the cell cycle’, a condition that precedes malignancy. Soy also blocks absorption of calcium, zinc, and magnesium (all three are recommended as protection against osteoporosis, heart function and many types of cancer) and diminishes thyroid function.
Healthy thyroid functioning is necessary for the proper function of every cell in the body.
Myth: Once you take high blood pressure medication, you can never stop taking it.
Ridiculous! You certainly can stop taking it if you want to, but other measures will have to be taken in order to make that possible. First, there are several lifestyle changes that most people can readily make to lower their blood pressure. If overweight, lose enough to get yourself into the normal/healthy range. If prone to eating processed foods, switch to fresh, healthier, unprocessed foods, and increase fiber intake. Make drinking sufficient water a daily habit. Quit smoking, and learn to effectively manage stress. Try bio-feedback. Certain minerals can lower blood pressure: calcium, magnesium and potassium. Note:
it is important not to eliminate salt intake altogether, as some salt is vital to our overall health.
Myth: Raw food is better/healthier than cooked. This might be true if the only/primary concern is not destroying the natural enzymes that are in raw fruits and vegetables. If a real need exists for those enzymes to remain intact in order to digest food then yes, raw is better. When battling cancer using only natural means, I tried to eat at least a 75% raw diet, but it did not succeed in arresting the cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that cooked food is better, especially in regards to vegetables, noting that if cooked in their own juices, many of the nutrients become more bio-available. Cooking helps break down the cell walls of the plants, releasing nutrients in the process, and making the food more digestible. This thinking is based on the fact that the human digestive system is very unlike that of grazing animals. Just what is an enzyme, anyway? An enzyme is a chemical that catalyzes a reaction so that it happens faster. Personally, I began regularly taking digestive enzymes over twenty years ago, and now take them along with betaine hydrochloride (HCl), which helps the body break down food even more. So, while there are definitely two opposite philosophies here, the argument in favor of only raw food does not seem to hold up for the average person.
Lipitor… has anyone else noticed that there is a class action lawsuit against Lipitor, the commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering medicine? As I have been saying for quite some time now, Lipitor has been linked to some severe, irreversible side effects that can be life-threatening. Specifically, if you are a female who contracted Type 2 diabetes prior to
2012, you can join this lawsuit. Call 303-757-3300.
health-related advice and information for a while has surely seen some of these fads come – and then go (Corral Calcium comes to mind). One thing I look out for is HYPE; the greater the hype the more skeptical I think we should be. Following are some common health-related myths I’d like to dispel.
Myth: An acid environment in the body makes it more prone to cancer, but cancer can’t thrive in a “basic” environment. This statement is related to Ph in the body, and because people do tend to be acidic (too much meat or fast food, and/or not enough vegetables), it might sound legitimate at first. Next, the sales pitches come for something that will help your body maintain basic Ph, supposedly avoiding cancer. This premise is simply not true. Some cancers actually thrive in a basic environment, while others in an acidic one. Just about all of them thrive on sugar, as it is known to be the primary food of cancer. So, if you really want to protect yourself from cancer, avoid sugar. It won’t cost you anything and may actually save you a few pennies. Some cancers like protein instead of sugar, which is the reason cancer patients are often told to stop eating ALL animal products, including honey. If you get cancer, ceasing consumption of meat and other animal products is something to consider. Certainly avoid products that contain growth hormone and antibiotics. Some claim that following a strict vegan diet will prevent cancer. While not entirely true, a vegan diet does seem to greatly reduce the risk. Paul McCartney’s wife, Linda, was strictly vegan, and she died of breast cancer. Just one example, but it is a famous one. Later on, I will address how animal fat seems to have nutrients that are
protective of breast health.
Myth: Low fat/ low calorie diets are the healthiest. Around since the early 1960’s, this advice is based on two false premises: eating fat makes you fat, and calories are simply added up and subtracted in the body mathematically. Science assumed that a calorie of food for the body was a unit of measure comparable to what an ounce of gasoline is for a car. The notion still exists that a pound of weight loss will occur when 3,500 calories are eliminated from your diet, either through food deprivation, greatly increased exertion, or a
combination of the two. This issue was looked at only as a math problem with thermodynamics to back it up, and if true, a person could live on candy bars totaling less than 1200 calories daily and would lose weight (don’t try it, it won’t work). In reality, our
metabolism varies with the individual. If we were to compare our bodies to the engine of a car: an ‘economy body’ (my term) metabolizes proteins, carbohydrates and fats very differently (more slowly) than the ‘gas guzzler’ (also my term) body that metabolizes more
quickly. A lower metabolism seems to include a pancreatic/insulin reaction to carbohydrates that readily stores the energy as fat. A body with a higher metabolism is more likely to use the carbohydrates quickly and efficiently, and therefore seems to need carefully balanced amounts of protein to have and maintain steady energy. Another factor to consider is that metabolism (as well as other things) can change as we age.
Myth: Olive oil is okay but all the other fats are bad. In fact, butterfat (saturated animal fat), and lard have been found to be protective against breast and prostate cancer in relation to the same nutritional principle. Nutritionists today are pointing out that in the earlier 1900’s, people were not put on low fat diets, and breast cancer was a rare disease.
The nutrients vitamins A, C and D, coenzyme Q10, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), sphingomyelin, butyric acid, and carotene are all considered protective against breast cancer. All but vitamin C and carotene are derived from animal foods, particularly butter and fats from animals that graze. Animal-based nutrients promote breast health in many ways including thyroid and adrenal function. Corticosteroid hormones are secreted by the adrenal glands and help the body deal with stress, and like our sex hormones they are made from cholesterol. However, beware of Trans fatty acids from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils; they have been positively correlated with cancer found in organs that are rich in fat tissues, including the breasts and the prostate gland. Pay attention to whether or not the producing animals were allowed to graze, or were they only fed dry feed grain. What is termed “free-range” grazing is essential to the nutritional value of animal products.
Myth: Soy products are protective against cancers. During the 1990’s, soy consumption was recommended to women for treatment of menopausal symptoms because the soy
molecule mimicked estrogen in the body, and the PMS symptoms were believed to be
a result of lower estrogen production. Soy to the rescue! Alas, this advice proved to be wrong: not just lacking therapeutic benefit, soy actually can have detrimental effects on women’s health. Plant based soy estrogens such as genistein can stimulate breast cells to enter ‘the cell cycle’, a condition that precedes malignancy. Soy also blocks absorption of calcium, zinc, and magnesium (all three are recommended as protection against osteoporosis, heart function and many types of cancer) and diminishes thyroid function.
Healthy thyroid functioning is necessary for the proper function of every cell in the body.
Myth: Once you take high blood pressure medication, you can never stop taking it.
Ridiculous! You certainly can stop taking it if you want to, but other measures will have to be taken in order to make that possible. First, there are several lifestyle changes that most people can readily make to lower their blood pressure. If overweight, lose enough to get yourself into the normal/healthy range. If prone to eating processed foods, switch to fresh, healthier, unprocessed foods, and increase fiber intake. Make drinking sufficient water a daily habit. Quit smoking, and learn to effectively manage stress. Try bio-feedback. Certain minerals can lower blood pressure: calcium, magnesium and potassium. Note:
it is important not to eliminate salt intake altogether, as some salt is vital to our overall health.
Myth: Raw food is better/healthier than cooked. This might be true if the only/primary concern is not destroying the natural enzymes that are in raw fruits and vegetables. If a real need exists for those enzymes to remain intact in order to digest food then yes, raw is better. When battling cancer using only natural means, I tried to eat at least a 75% raw diet, but it did not succeed in arresting the cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that cooked food is better, especially in regards to vegetables, noting that if cooked in their own juices, many of the nutrients become more bio-available. Cooking helps break down the cell walls of the plants, releasing nutrients in the process, and making the food more digestible. This thinking is based on the fact that the human digestive system is very unlike that of grazing animals. Just what is an enzyme, anyway? An enzyme is a chemical that catalyzes a reaction so that it happens faster. Personally, I began regularly taking digestive enzymes over twenty years ago, and now take them along with betaine hydrochloride (HCl), which helps the body break down food even more. So, while there are definitely two opposite philosophies here, the argument in favor of only raw food does not seem to hold up for the average person.
Lipitor… has anyone else noticed that there is a class action lawsuit against Lipitor, the commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering medicine? As I have been saying for quite some time now, Lipitor has been linked to some severe, irreversible side effects that can be life-threatening. Specifically, if you are a female who contracted Type 2 diabetes prior to
2012, you can join this lawsuit. Call 303-757-3300.
