Fatigue is the number one complaint made to doctors, and it’s been that way for decades. The body is a complex system, and lack of energy can be caused by all kinds of things. It’s a symptom in many disease diagnoses. Low functioning thyroid and/or adrenal glands are a common source of fatigue. Chronic infections, allergies or an overworked liver can cause fatigue. Lack of sleep, lack of exercise, too little potassium (and too much sodium), systemic acidity and dehydration are all factors that can lead to fatigue. But, the fundamental causes of fatigue are our old friends, nutrient deficiency and toxins. The two biggest obstacles to improving our national health status are Americans’ widely held, and erroneous, beliefs that 1) they are eating a “pretty good diet” that is giving them the nutrients they need, and 2) their health is relatively unaffected by toxins. Nothing could be further from the truth. Government surveys continue to document the fact that just about every America…

Question:  I have been hearing a lot about Vitamin K. What exactly is Vitamin K good for and what products contain it? How would I know if I were deficient in Vitamin K? C. G. – Larkspur, CA Answer: There’s been a lot written about vitamin K recently. It’s similar to where vitamin D was a few years ago. It turns out that vitamin K is lot more important than we thought; it has many roles in the body we never knew about, and we need quite a bit more than was previously thought. Until recently, Vitamin K was known only for its ability to help blood clotting. In fact people on anticlotting medications (blood thinners like Coumadin) are still often given some bad advice by their doctors: they’re told to avoid green vegetables because they’re high in vitamin K. Green vegetables are of course among the healthiest foods on the planet, and we now know that vitamin K is a lot more than just a “clotting vitamin.” It’s even vital to prevent the very heart disease blood thinners are prescr…

Question:  I have enjoyed reading your books Never Be Sick Again and Never Be Fat Again, and wanted to let you know I have been feeling much better and have lost 6 pounds since I began implementing your suggestions earlier this year. I have eliminated almost all processed foods, eat mostly organic and raw, especially salads and green smoothies, and have become a more conscious consumer of bodycare and household products. One thing I have not yet done, however, is to reduce my intake of salt. I do purchase your unrefined Celtic salt, but I seem to just love the taste of salt and find it hard to stay within the ½ teaspoon a day that you recommend. What is your opinion of salt substitutes like Morton Salt Substitute, No-Salt or Nu-Salt? Are they a healthy alternative to regular salt? S. R. – Internet Answer: You’ve probably already reduced your salt intake more than you think. Most salt in the American diet, 80-90%, comes from processed and restaurant foods, so if you’ve eliminated…

. . . happiness is a key to improved physical function in aging adults Scientists already showed that aging adults who enjoy life live longer and suffer less illness. Now, a new study published last month in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) suggests happier seniors maintain better physical function as they age. Researchers at University College London analyzed eight years of data on 3,199 men and women who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Participants were separated into three age groups of 60-69, 70-79, and 80-years-old and above. Then, study investigators assessed overall happiness in life using participant surveys that rated their agreement with such statements as: I enjoy the things that I do I feel full of energy these days I enjoy being in the company of others On balance, I look back on my life with a sense of happiness Researchers compared responses to these questions with the participants’ abilities to perform daily ph…

. . . which multivitamins are you talking about? Last December, Big Pharma, through the Annals of Internal Medicine, launched a major attack on multivitamins, essentially declaring them useless for preventing disease. But the truth is vitamins, minerals and other nutrients have been shown a thousand times over to prevent and reverse disease, whereas drugs primarily suppress symptoms, make overall health worse, and regularly kill thousands of people annually, even when properly prescribed and administered. In his recent article “Vitamins are a Waste of Money?” Raymond Francis exposed the fallacy in most of the huge studies that have purported to show multivitamins are useless: they use low-dose, low-quality multis like Centrum. Thus, these costly studies are designed to fail.  In fact, if you read Raymond’s analysis of the ingredients in Centrum Silver Adults 50+, you’ll wonder why more of the studies don’t show multivitamins cause disease! However, even Centrum, taken over 11…

. . . and impede the healing process Although flu vaccines cause far more injury and death than are caused by the flu, vaccine advocates argue that it is our social responsibility to get a flu shot to halt the spread of the disease. Well, these advocates might better take up arms against fever-reducing drugs like aspirin, acetaminophen and ibuprofen, which have recently been shown to greatly increase disease transmission. In fact, according to mathematicians at McMaster University in Canada, eliminating these drugs entirely could prevent at least 700 deaths and many more serious illnesses annually. Alternative healthcare practitioners have pointed out for years that fevers are nature’s way of fighting viruses by reducing their ability to reproduce. Like other band-aid approaches to disease, anti-fever drugs are a short-sighted attempt to outsmart Mother Nature. But they interfere with healing, increase viral replication and often do long-term damage. They also encourage sick peop…

. . . recent study sheds light on benefits of fasting to overall health Historically, fasting has been associated with religious rituals, political protests, and fad diets. However, research over the past decade suggests a larger, more significant role of fasting—commonly referred to as intermittent fasting (IF)—for losing weight and improving overall health. Scientists have known since the 1940s that IF promotes weight loss. Yet, it has only recently become popular as a diet plan since it’s re-introduction to the public in 2012 after the release of a book on the subject. Intermittent fasting does not equal “skipping a meal” IF is a form of calorie restriction. The premise isn’t to simply reduce calorie intake daily, or skip a meal here or there. But rather, to alternate days of eating one’s normal food intake with days of eating a reduced amount of calories during a specific window of your day…while choosing not to eat during the rest of that day. Two popular types o…

. . . even though you exercise, too much sitting can kill you! It began back in 1953 when researchers found that bus conductors in London had half as many heart disease related deaths as bus drivers. The difference between the two groups: Drivers sit for the major part of their work day, while conductors are in constant motion, collecting fares by walking the aisles and going up and down the stairs of the English double-decker buses. Since the fifties, exercise physiologists have found that non-exercise physical activity (NEPA), specifically staying relatively active throughout the day versus sitting for prolonged periods, seems to have an even more beneficial impact on health than regular sessions of more strenuous exercise. By now, numerous studies have associated higher levels of NEPA, regardless of exercise, with reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, dementia and cancer. Meanwhile increased time spent sitting is associated with increased risk of disea…

. . . you don’t have to resort to toxic drugs for arthritic pain Newsclips readers already know that anti-inflammatory drugs have many adverse side effects, including death! But when you’re in pain with arthritis, you’ll reach for just about anything that helps. Although we’re bombarded daily with ads for toxic drugs, there are natural alternatives which have been shown to be just as effective!  You do, however, have to take a more wholistic approach than just popping a pill. Pain is caused by inflammation, and just about every aspect of your life can either increase or decrease inflammation. For a comprehensive approach to reducing inflammation, including a basic supplement regimen, see Raymond’s article, Inflammation: a Common Denominator of Disease. Meanwhile, if you’ve got arthritis, the combination of 1.5 grams of glucosamine and 1.5 grams of MSM (the amounts you’ll get from 3 capsules of our Joint Protection Formula) was shown in a 2004 study to reduce pain by about 66%…

. . . many now believe having diabetes is no big deal! Nearly 10% of the US population, including 25% of all seniors, has diabetes. Another 25% has pre-diabetes, a condition that’s almost as bad, and the situation is only getting worse. By 2050, it’s predicted that 30% of the population will be diabetic. What’s especially frustrating is that about 95% of diabetics have diabetes type II, which is entirely caused by lifestyle and fairly easily reversed by lifestyle. But many diabetics we encounter these days have come to believe that having diabetes is normal and “no big deal,” especially if they’re “keeping it under control” with medications. They even often categorize themselves as healthy! Let’s be clear. If you have diabetes, you are not healthy! There is only one disease—malfunctioning cells. And before you get to the point where you are even pre-diabetic, cellular malfunction is occurring throughout your body on a massive scale and doing all kinds of damage. Because…

Question:  I read the article in your October ZINE, “Your Doctor Works for You.” Recently I developed a problem of pain and sciatica in my lower back and have been working with a physical therapist. Although with her suggestions, an antiinflammatory diet and a supplement regimen of my own creation – lots of vitamin C, 2 Cell Repair and 2 Curcumin, each 3 times a day, and proteolytic enzymes – my pain was well managed, but the underlying condition didn’t seem to be getting better. When she suggested that I consult with Dr. S, an apparently well-respected MD at a hospital clinic here in Des Moines to get her take on what was causing the problem, I remembered the ZINE article. For the past twenty years I’ve avoided conventional doctors, but I thought maybe I should be more open-minded and perhaps learn something from this doctor. So I approached the experience in that spirit. Before the appointment I was sent a 10-page questionnaire concerning my problem, which I dutifully completed, d…

. . . catechins make the difference Green tea (and its even healthier cousin, white tea) is already known for multiple health benefits, most of them having to do with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenols called catechins. Numerous studies have shown that green tea is protective against heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and a host of other health problems, and that it promotes detoxification and weight loss. Recently researchers in China reviewed all the randomized controlled trials that have been published to date on green tea/green tea extracts and glucose control and insulin sensitivity in humans. They concluded that green tea significantly reduced fasting glucose in those whose blood sugar was too high; reduced hemoglobin A1c (a long-term measure of blood glucose control), especially in subjects at risk for metabolic syndrome; and lowered fasting insulin concentrations.  The higher the catechin content the better the results were. Our green and white teas are hi…

. . . and why proponents are on the right side of this consumer rights debate Saturated fat 3 g, Trans fat 1.5 g…best if used by 31 Aug 2013…processed in a facility with products that contain egg, soy, shellfish, and tree nuts. We’ve come to expect these kinds of statements on our food labels. Yet there’s one listed in over 60 other countries that you won’t find in the United States. An ingredient label stating, “contains genetically modified organisms” (GMOs). While we’ve repeatedly warned of the significant health dangers of genetically engineered (GE) foods, a movement to mandate labeling of all GMO foods has been slowly building momentum. The past several months, consumers like you have voiced your concern at the grocery store and ballot box. Now, both food industry and your state representatives are on notice to stop the lies and get on the right side of GMO labeling. Separating GMO labeling fact from fiction The food industry claims GMO labeling would only confu…

. . . think again! Consumers in search of weight loss and blood sugar control often turn to toxic artificial sweeteners for help. But a new study indicates this is a poor strategy. Sucralose, also known as Splenda®, impacts glucose metabolism in ways you might not expect. After non-diabetic obese individuals who don’t normally consume artificial sweeteners were given either water or a drink sweetened with sucralose, it was noted that the sucralose group had about a 20% higher rise in blood sugar, 22% more insulin, a 7% decrease in insulin clearance, and a 23% decrease in insulin sensitivity. Even if it didn’t affect blood sugar, Splenda is not something you want to be putting into your body. Sucralose is a toxin, and about 15% of what we consume ends up stored with other toxins in our fat cells. Splenda causes symptoms like skin rashes, shortness of breath, tissue swelling, headaches, runny nose, itchy and bloodshot eyes, diarrhea, bloating, heart palpitations, joint aches,…

. . . our freedom to buy nutritious food is on the line It’s healthiest to consume nuts raw. At high temperatures, enzymes are killed and fats are corrupted and made toxic. But when you buy “raw” almonds these days, you’re probably not getting what you think. With few exceptions, which we’ll talk about later, “raw almonds,” even organic “raw almonds,” are now pasteurized with heat or chemicals. This is due to a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulation that has been in force since 2007 at the request of the California Almond Board (almost all almonds grown in the US are grown in California). Although heat pasteurization (steaming, blanching or roasting) is bad enough, chemical pasteurization is worse. The chemical generally used is propylene oxide, a toxin that has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a possible carcinogen and has been banned by the European Union, Canada, Mexico, and many other countries. There are now only…

There are dangerous chemicals lurking in your tap water. Chlorine, fluoride, nitrates, heavy metals, microorganisms, radiation—these and  thousands of other toxins come to us courtesy of our own government, landfill and agricultural runoff, industrial chemicals, nuclear disasters…to name a few. Now, one familiar toxin is making headlines across the country again. A new study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates an alarming number of water taps contain the live bacterium Legionella pneumophila. Chemist Maura Donohue and colleagues at the EPA collected over 274 samples from 68 public and private water taps across the U.S. They found that nearly half of all taps—including kitchen and bathroom sinks, drinking fountains, and refrigerator dispensers— contained traces of L. pneumophila in at least one sample. Even worse, 11 of those contained the bacterium in multiple samples! What are my chances of getting Legionnaires’ disease? Legionella pneumophila…

. . . how drug companies now control medical science When it comes to statins, there is such a vast discrepancy between public perception, including perception in the medical community, and the truth that one wonders how it is possible.  However a book was published ten years ago that offers an explanation. Overdosed in America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine. How the Pharmaceutical Companies are Corrupting Science, Misleading Doctors and Threatening Your Health was written by a family doctor on the clinical staff at Harvard Medical School named John Abramson. In it, he shatters the illusion that we can trust traditional sources to supply accurate “scientific” information that we can use as consumers to improve our health. In an interview, Dr. Abramson explains: . . . [We] think that medical knowledge is produced and disseminated in order to improve our health . . . [but it] is produced and disseminated in order to maximize corporations’ return on investment. And I…

. . . making the case for using clean water in preparing food for consumption Most water is unfit for human consumption. You may recall the EPA coming down hard on the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Or, how the U.S. Council of Environmental Quality reported that cancer risks of people drinking chlorinated water are 93% higher than those who don’t. Plus, toxins from landfill and agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial chemicals—even radiation from Japan’s 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster—continue to show up in our water supply. Role of water in food health Thus, it’s no surprise that water plays a big role in the quality of the foods we eat. In fact, whether you grow your own produce or buy from a local farmers’ market or grocery store, your food comes into direct contact with numerous water sources. Crops are irrigated…animals are hydrated…and some foods are grown entirely in water (aquaponics). Plus, foods are washed, rinsed, canned, cooked, and…