Bonus acupuncture treatment… when you buy two others, get the third one free. We’ll be offering this deal for the entire month as our July Special. Please call to schedule your three acupuncture visits for the price of two.
Beer and Alzheimer’ disease… research says drinking an occasional beer might help prevent it. Don’t you love research that justifies a little indulgence? Research has shown that drinking a pint or two starting in middle age reduces development of beta-amyloid plaques (aka sticky plaques) in the brain; this would lower the risk of Alzheimer’s. Some aspects of the study gave me pause, however. The Research Society on Alcoholism analyzed autopsy reports of 125 men, ages ranging from 35 to 70, who died suddenly. Died suddenly of what? Surviving relatives provided data about the deceased, including their drinking habits. This is how a correlation was made that regular beer drinkers had fewer plaques in their brain. Oddly, drinkers of liquor or wine did not have the same results. Beer can have many nutrients in it when brewed properly. That may have something to do with the study findings, since it was conducted in Finland where the quality of beer is high. Red wine has the resveratrol and pycnogenol, but no other nutritional benefits and liquor has no nutrition. It also is burned in the body like liquid fat or gasoline which is very hard on the pancreas and liver. Source – Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2016; doi: 10.1111/acer.13102
Something positive about getting older… bad cholesterol can be good. Yet another study has shown evidence that there are actually many good things about LDL cholesterol. That being the case, statin drugs which target the LDL could not be good for us. Seventeen scientists from a range of medical and academic institutions assessed the mortality and LDL cholesterol levels of 68,096 people over age 60. That is a significantly large sample population. Gender was not specified. 80% of those living the longest also had the highest levels of LDL cholesterol. Those with the lowest levels were far more likely to die prematurely. Rather than being the artery clogging fat it was purported to be, we now know more of the function of LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein). It helps make hormones and counters micro-organisms that can cause fatal diseases. The study participants who had the highest levels of LDL cholesterol were less likely to develop cancer, respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, and heart disease. You read that right: the very disease it was reputed to increase.
Remember that half the people who end up in the ER because of a heart attack have what the AMA calls “healthy cholesterol levels”. HALF! Cholesterol levels are not a reliable indicator of heart attack risk! Flipping a coin would be just as accurate. The pharmaceutical companies will do their best to prevent this from becoming common knowledge. Medical doctors have been told to recommend that all people starting at age 60 “get on” statin drugs as a routine, a “just-in-case” protection against heart disease. Statin drugs have other effects. One side effect is they can be detrimental to your muscles. Well, guess what the heart is made of - mostly muscle! I think that someday this whole thing will be chalked up to the biggest medical fraud ever perpetrated on the public. In the meantime, realize those statins are bad for you and be sure to take care of YOU.
‘Drive Thru Disease’… it is not new news that eating at fast food places with any frequency is not healthy. The high amounts of fat and sugar (and few nutrients) have the potential to raise the risk of obesity, diabetes, clogged arteries, high blood pressure, weak bones, and poor energy. Now a new threat from excessive fast food consumption has been identified: Bisphenol A and Phthalates Exposure. Found not only in the food, but in the packaging and handling of the food, phthalates are a class of high-production volume industrial chemicals that are used ubiquitously in commerce. There is a positive dose-response relationship between Phthalates and fast food intake. Participants that had a high consumption (>34.9%) of total energy intake from fast food had a 23.8% higher level of DEHPm (DEHP) , and a 39% higher level DiNPm (DiNP). The letters indicate the science name of these phthalates.
Exposure to DEHP has been associated with reproductive problems in adults, neurobehavioral and respiratory issues in children, and risk factors for metabolic disease in adolescents and adults. There is less evidence of the disease problems DiNP may be associated with. This study reveals a new understanding of the processed food health situation. Fat, sodium, carbs, protein and calories can be found on the label; we don’t even know what information to share about industrial chemicals. What we do know is enough to make us all to want to grow our own food, but I know that’s unrealistic.
For optimal health (including cancer prevention), I highly recommend as much organic and raw food as possible. Cook in stainless steel or glass and do not microwave anything. Stay away from plastics for food preparation and eating but also against your skin, they are a petroleum product. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are, and then be at peace.
Sitting or standing too much… which is worse? A few recent studies say sitting too long is as hazardous to your health as smoking and will shorten your life. One article stated that sitting for 11 hours a day increased the risk of untimely death by 40%, compared to sitting less. Commuting to and from a sitting job and a few hours of TV every day can quickly add up to eleven hours. As a result, “upright workspace” was developed, which is a desk that allows a person to stand at their workspace, rather than sit. Some desks come with ways to exercise while working, such as a treadmill or bicycle ‘chair’. At the same time, in California it is the law that employers must allow their employees an opportunity to sit on the job. If you have ever done a job that is all standing, you can understand that. I think that both prolonged sitting and prolonged standing can be detrimental to our health. An ability to build movement into the workspace or into the workday seems optimal. In general, employers shouldn’t encourage workers to sit or stand for extended periods, but to move around and to vary their time from sitting to standing.
As with many challenges, do what you can that is within your reach. For example, stretch while watching television instead of just sitting. Take a walk outside when on a break or at lunch. Though tired after work, you might be surprised to gain renewed energy from a bit of exercise outside.
There when you need them... this month’s charity fundraiser will be on Saturday, July 30th, from 9am until 1pm, proceeds benefit Teller County Search and Rescue. Stop by for an adjustment or an meridian balancing (acu-stim) treatment in exchange for a donation.
Beer and Alzheimer’ disease… research says drinking an occasional beer might help prevent it. Don’t you love research that justifies a little indulgence? Research has shown that drinking a pint or two starting in middle age reduces development of beta-amyloid plaques (aka sticky plaques) in the brain; this would lower the risk of Alzheimer’s. Some aspects of the study gave me pause, however. The Research Society on Alcoholism analyzed autopsy reports of 125 men, ages ranging from 35 to 70, who died suddenly. Died suddenly of what? Surviving relatives provided data about the deceased, including their drinking habits. This is how a correlation was made that regular beer drinkers had fewer plaques in their brain. Oddly, drinkers of liquor or wine did not have the same results. Beer can have many nutrients in it when brewed properly. That may have something to do with the study findings, since it was conducted in Finland where the quality of beer is high. Red wine has the resveratrol and pycnogenol, but no other nutritional benefits and liquor has no nutrition. It also is burned in the body like liquid fat or gasoline which is very hard on the pancreas and liver. Source – Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2016; doi: 10.1111/acer.13102
Something positive about getting older… bad cholesterol can be good. Yet another study has shown evidence that there are actually many good things about LDL cholesterol. That being the case, statin drugs which target the LDL could not be good for us. Seventeen scientists from a range of medical and academic institutions assessed the mortality and LDL cholesterol levels of 68,096 people over age 60. That is a significantly large sample population. Gender was not specified. 80% of those living the longest also had the highest levels of LDL cholesterol. Those with the lowest levels were far more likely to die prematurely. Rather than being the artery clogging fat it was purported to be, we now know more of the function of LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein). It helps make hormones and counters micro-organisms that can cause fatal diseases. The study participants who had the highest levels of LDL cholesterol were less likely to develop cancer, respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, and heart disease. You read that right: the very disease it was reputed to increase.
Remember that half the people who end up in the ER because of a heart attack have what the AMA calls “healthy cholesterol levels”. HALF! Cholesterol levels are not a reliable indicator of heart attack risk! Flipping a coin would be just as accurate. The pharmaceutical companies will do their best to prevent this from becoming common knowledge. Medical doctors have been told to recommend that all people starting at age 60 “get on” statin drugs as a routine, a “just-in-case” protection against heart disease. Statin drugs have other effects. One side effect is they can be detrimental to your muscles. Well, guess what the heart is made of - mostly muscle! I think that someday this whole thing will be chalked up to the biggest medical fraud ever perpetrated on the public. In the meantime, realize those statins are bad for you and be sure to take care of YOU.
‘Drive Thru Disease’… it is not new news that eating at fast food places with any frequency is not healthy. The high amounts of fat and sugar (and few nutrients) have the potential to raise the risk of obesity, diabetes, clogged arteries, high blood pressure, weak bones, and poor energy. Now a new threat from excessive fast food consumption has been identified: Bisphenol A and Phthalates Exposure. Found not only in the food, but in the packaging and handling of the food, phthalates are a class of high-production volume industrial chemicals that are used ubiquitously in commerce. There is a positive dose-response relationship between Phthalates and fast food intake. Participants that had a high consumption (>34.9%) of total energy intake from fast food had a 23.8% higher level of DEHPm (DEHP) , and a 39% higher level DiNPm (DiNP). The letters indicate the science name of these phthalates.
Exposure to DEHP has been associated with reproductive problems in adults, neurobehavioral and respiratory issues in children, and risk factors for metabolic disease in adolescents and adults. There is less evidence of the disease problems DiNP may be associated with. This study reveals a new understanding of the processed food health situation. Fat, sodium, carbs, protein and calories can be found on the label; we don’t even know what information to share about industrial chemicals. What we do know is enough to make us all to want to grow our own food, but I know that’s unrealistic.
For optimal health (including cancer prevention), I highly recommend as much organic and raw food as possible. Cook in stainless steel or glass and do not microwave anything. Stay away from plastics for food preparation and eating but also against your skin, they are a petroleum product. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are, and then be at peace.
Sitting or standing too much… which is worse? A few recent studies say sitting too long is as hazardous to your health as smoking and will shorten your life. One article stated that sitting for 11 hours a day increased the risk of untimely death by 40%, compared to sitting less. Commuting to and from a sitting job and a few hours of TV every day can quickly add up to eleven hours. As a result, “upright workspace” was developed, which is a desk that allows a person to stand at their workspace, rather than sit. Some desks come with ways to exercise while working, such as a treadmill or bicycle ‘chair’. At the same time, in California it is the law that employers must allow their employees an opportunity to sit on the job. If you have ever done a job that is all standing, you can understand that. I think that both prolonged sitting and prolonged standing can be detrimental to our health. An ability to build movement into the workspace or into the workday seems optimal. In general, employers shouldn’t encourage workers to sit or stand for extended periods, but to move around and to vary their time from sitting to standing.
As with many challenges, do what you can that is within your reach. For example, stretch while watching television instead of just sitting. Take a walk outside when on a break or at lunch. Though tired after work, you might be surprised to gain renewed energy from a bit of exercise outside.
There when you need them... this month’s charity fundraiser will be on Saturday, July 30th, from 9am until 1pm, proceeds benefit Teller County Search and Rescue. Stop by for an adjustment or an meridian balancing (acu-stim) treatment in exchange for a donation.
