Improve Vision with Supplements

We have been recommending supplementation with lutein, zeaxanthin and other antioxidants for patients who have macular degeneration. The benefits of this therapy have been proven in carefully controlled studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.

Now for this first time it has been shown that these compounds may also improve visual performance in healthy young people. Researchers at the University of Georgia gave 12 mg supplemental lutein and zexanthin to 40 subjects daily for six months. These young people demonstrated improved visual performance under glaring light conditions over the course of the test period.

This research points out the need to maintain a well balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables.

Memory and Forgetting - How to Not Lose Your Mind

If you are approaching middle age and you have had the experience of not being able to place a person's name with a face or if you forgot a telephone number for the second or third time, don't worry. This does not mean that you are losing your mind or that you are in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. A certain amount of forgetting is normal as you get older.

Memory is complicated and requires the activation of circuits in the brain, primarily between a structure called the hippocampus and an area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. Researchers have studied the way memory works and have made some fascinating observations that are incredible value. Large and well designed studies have shown that exercise improves memory.

That is correct.

If you exercise you will not only improve your body, but you will also improve your memory. Exercise help memory by increasing cerebral blood volume, by stimulating the production of a protein that stimulates the birth of new brain cells and facilitating the process by which the brain changes in response to learning.

It has also been demonstrated that what you eat can improve your memory. Foods such as blueberries, walnut and other sources of antioxidants and omega e fatty acids will strengthen you mind.

What could be easier? Instead of worrying about what you have forgotten, move your body more, get your heart rate up and pay attention to what you eat. Don't allow inactivity and poor eating habits to cause you to "lose your mind."

Take Good Care of Yourself and Live Longer

Most of us know someone who has lived to a ripe old age in spite of the fact that they are smokers or abuse their body with alcohol or junk foods. How do you explain their longevity? Have they managed to live to an advanced age in spite of their excesses?

The answer is yes and we finally have a statistically valid study that proves the point. An 11-year study of 20,000 people in Norfolk, England showed that those who did not smoke, were physically active, drank alcohol in moderation and ate at least five servings of fruits or vegetables a day lived 14 years longer than those who did not observe these guidelines.

Those who did none of these things were four times more likely to die by the end of the study. Each factor was beneficial, but the greatest benefit was seen in those who observed all four guidelines. The results held regardless of social class or body weight at the inception of the study.

Think about that one for a while. 14 years!

Deadly Physiology of Stress

Last week I discussed the physiology of stress.

The flood of hormones that result from stress have profound effects on our bodies. The corticosteroids cause a decrease in immune function, and increase in blood sugar, a breakdown of muscle and a decrease in natural killer cell function. The result is an increased risk of disease, an increased risk of infection and an increased risk of cancer. The catecholamines secreted by the adrenal medulla cause an increase in heart rate, an increase in blood pressure, an increase in respiratory rate and a decrease in immune system health.

This results in an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, an increased risk of infection, moodiness and anger and digestive problems. As these stress hormones surge through your body they also crank up your metabolic rate causing the production of more free radicals.

The discovery of the effects of stress on the immune system has been a milestone in understanding how stress causes disease It sheds light on the complex interaction between the mind and the body.

Obesity and You

Are you satisfied that you are doing all that you can to be as healthy and have as much vitality and energy as you desire? Is being overweight a problem? Have you tried one of the fad diets, lost weight and then regained it plus maybe a few pounds more? If you answer yes and are stuck looking for a solution I have answers for you with a very effective medically endorsed program that I guaranteed to work and is fun to do. But first of all let me give you some facts.

The first problem is that we do not have an effective health care program in this country. We have what I have termed "sick care." This means to me that most people don't go to the doctor to build up their immune systems and stay healthy, rather they go when they are sick. We are putting the cart before the horse. The American life style is a problem. In this country we are first in spending on health care but second to last of the 13 wealthiest countries in average healthy days per year per person. 50 to 60% of Americans are overweight and greater than 60 million are obese carrying 2.5 billion pounds of fat. The percent of obese Americans has increased from 14% in 1980 to greater than 30% in 2000. The percent of obese children has doubled since 1980. The percent of obese adolescents has tripled. Furthermore for the first time in our history the life expectancy of our children is less than ours. This is a consequence of obesity that causes type II diabetes and other illnesses. It is estimated that obesity is responsible for 300,000 deaths annually, second only to smoking as a cause of death. The estimated cost to our health care system for obesity related illness is more than $100 billion a year.

Aren't these facts breathtaking? What is the solution? Obviously a change in lifestyle. But what do you change? How much do you need to exercise? Do you diet? What do you do about the stress in your life? How do you find the facts you need in a sea of information, advertisements and propaganda? We have studied this problem and done the homework for you. Besides my son and I, who are physicians, have consulted with a nutritionist, an exercise physiologist, 2 psychologists and a zen master. Together we have constructed a six week program that will change your life. It is easy to follow, fun to do and can be started by anyone of any age, level of physical fitness, or of health. If you follow the program you will look better, feel younger, lose weight, have more energy, improve your sex drive, lower your cholesterol and your blood pressure. We guarantee this because we have seen it happen over and over again in The TriEnergetics programs we have run. Does this interest you? I appreciate your comments.

For more information go to our website by using the link on this blog or go directly by using the address www.TriEnergetics.com.

Stress

As I discussed before stress is everywhere.

You can't avoid it. Every organism on this planet is susceptible. Even an amoeba experiences stress. Poke it with a micropipette, and it will move away. This is stress: a reaction to a stimulus. in many ways stress is beneficial to life. Stress helps animals grow and adapt. It helps an animal escape from predators and it guides plants to grow toward sunshine.

In humans, stress stimulates the muscles to grow after exercise and it guides us away from danger. Even though stress is a universal constant, the way each individual reacts to stress is distinctly personal. You form your own reaction to a stimulus whether it is a dog barking, a car veering toward you or your boss yelling at you. Your own unique personality, behaviors and coping skills determine how you will react to the stimulus.

For centuries, Taoist physicians have recognized the health risks of a stressful lifestyle, but it is only recently that Western scientists have begun to unravel the mystery of how stress affects the body. When confronted with danger, the response of an animal is an increase in blood pressure, an increase in heart rate, and in increase in blood flow to the muscles. This response provides an extra surge of strength and energy to enable the endangered animal to fight for its life or to escape. This fight or flight response still exists in humans. With each stressor that you encounter, whether a boss, a spouse or financial pressure, the fight or flight response kicks in driving up your blood pressure and your heart rate.

Stress leads to a cascade of hormones in the body. Under times of stress a small area in the brain, the hypothalamus sends signals in the form of neurohormones to the pituitary gland which then secretes a neurohormone, ACTH,. ACTH travels to the adrenal glands causes them to secrete corticosteroids. The adrenals are also stimulated to secrete another group of chemicals called catecholamines such as adrenalin and norepinepherine.

Next week I will discuss what these stress provoked compounds do to your body.

Glucosamine Supplements- Real or Hype?

Glucosamine supplements and glucosamine combined with chondroitin sulfate and MSM are highly touted as treatment for arthritic pain in the knee, hip, spine and shoulder. Indeed millions of dollars a year are spent on these supplements.

Are they worthwhile? Do they really work?

The answer to this rather simple question is not easy to come by. In fact this statement holds true for many other supplements. The reason is that in order to really determine the efficacy of any product it is necessary to do a double blind controlled study. This means that neither the investigator nor the subject knows whether they are taking the medicine or a placebo. Doing a study such as this is very expensive and labor intensive. Therefore these studies are rarely done on supplements.

Recently a Dutch study was published that followed 222 people with arthritis of the hip. After two years of taking 1500 milligrams of glucosamine sulfate a day, those who took the supplement had similar levels of pain, stiffness and disability as those taking a placebo. X rays of the hip also revealed no differences in the two groups. Another major study of arthritis of the knee had similar conclusions.

What does this mean for you? If you are taking one of these supplements and you are no better after three months there is no reason to continue with it. If you seem to be doing better because of the pill and you have no adverse side effects continue taking it. I see no reason to stop if in your mind there has been benefit.

This is for Berries

I recently reviewed an article that pointed out the benefits of berries for aiding memory. Now there is other good news about berries. A Finnish study of middle-aged people with hypertension, or high blood sugar or cholesterol found that those who added 5 ounces of berries to their daily diet had lower blood pressure, higher good cholesterol and less sticky platelets. These benefits are due to polyphenols, found in berries, red wine, chocolate and tea.

A handful of berries a day will help keep the doctor away. By the way, the pure juice is just as effective as the whole berry. Personally I take several ounces of either Goji berry juice or Acai berry juice a day.

Gingko or not to Gingko

Gingko biloba is widely advertised as a memory enhancer. It is the main or at times the only ingredient in pills and other nostrums claimed to be a memory enhancer. Is there any evidence at all that ginko enhances memory?

No! Several excellent controlled studies found that gingko had absolutely no effect on memory, learning, attention, concentration or verbal fluency in older people.

The take home message is save your money and be wary about claims made by supplements that are not backed up with controlled studies that document the efficacy of the substance.

Nuts to You!

Did you know that you can lower your blood cholesterol by eating nuts?

Well you can. It has been shown that in people with a high cholesterol eating one ounce of almonds a day lowered their bad cholesterol (LDL) by an average of 4%. If they ate 2 ounces a day they lowered it by 9%. At the same time their good cholesterol (HDL) rose a little. Many other nuts are also rich in cholesterol lowering unsaturated fatty acids.

Remember this. Nuts are high in calories. If you do not want to gain weight while lowering your cholesterol eat the nuts instead of other snack foods. This will also help you get your ration of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids into a healthier zone.

Look at our book TriEnergetics for more good eating tips.

Sex the Natural Way

Has your sex life turned south? Is the flame of desire burning lower? Are you looking for the secret to having the best and most rewarding sex of your life, get more endurance and .find greater satisfaction?

The answer is obvious.

Do what every red blooded American does and find the magic pill that will make everything about your sex life better. Why not take the purple pill that is advertised on television. Go ahead and take it. Sit there while your face flushes, your hands twitch and your vision blurs.

If the thought of these possible side effects turn you off look in the paper. There frequently is an ad in the sporting pages that guarantees satisfaction or you get your money back. The most recent ad that I saw stated that when you take one of the pills you will be fortified and raring to go. It doesn’t matter if you are fat or skinny, male or female, old or young. What a joke.

Let me tell you the truth. If you are reasonably healthy and do not have a disease with neurological complications you do not need these “sex aids." If your sex life is less than fulfilling look at yourself. Honestly look at yourself. How is your health? What is your energy level? Are you brimming with what we call dynamic energy? How much stress is there in your life and how are you dealing with it? Stress is a killer. It can kill you and certainly can kill your sex life.

I have a better idea and it is a natural solution. The answer is our revolutionary TriEnergetics program. Here is a quote from the preface of our book TriEnergetics. “Take a long hard look at your life. If you don’t look as good as you would like to look, feel as good as you would like to feel, or have the energy and enthusiasm for life that you really want to have, this book is for you. If you have tried to diet and regained the weight, started an exercise program and failed, been unsuccessful in curbing your stress, or attempted to take control of your life only to watch that control slip away, this book is for you. In fact this book offers everyone the opportunity to jump-start their lives with better health, every, and vitality by following our revolutionary lifestyle plan-the TriEnergetics program."

This is our advice in a nutshell. Forget the aphrodisiac pills and generate the enthusiasm from within. You will feel better, look better, probably live longer and have better sex. All of the information you need is in the book. Best of all after you read the book start the TriEnergetics program. It will guide you in easy steps to a new level of energy and excitement.

Your life will improve and the sex will take care of itself. Best of all it will be natural. I guarantee you will be happier.

Smart Weight Loss

Smart Weight Loss There is smart weight loss and dumb weight loss.

What do I mean by this. Dumb weight loss is looking for that quick fix, that miracle pill. Weight loss products are the No. 1 type of consumer fraud in the U.S. according to a recent report by the Federal Trade Commission. More than 5 million Americans looking for the easy way fall into these scams often buying more than one item. What kinds of nostrums and junk are these companies selling? You name it. Do you want to try dietary supplements, skin patches, creams, wraps, earrings or suppositories?

These dealers guarantee you that you can lose weight without exercising without dieting. and without effort. I have news for you. Why not get smart and do what you have to do. Start by moving your body more and by looking at your unconscious eating.

Get smart and look at the proven program that will get you to feel better, look better and become thinner. Look at our book TriEnergetics to get on a smart weight loss program.

Don't Drink the Water

Are you one of the millions of Americans who have consumed over eight billion gallons of bottled water last year?

If you are, please consider these reasons for changing to good old tap water. First of all more than 25% of bottled water comes from a municipal supply. That is right. Some company is taking tap water that is possibly run through a filter and then sold to us consumers at a thousandfold increase in price. Not bad! You spend more for a gallon of the stuff than you would for a gallon of gasoline.

Furthermore the bottled water may not be as pure as you expect. The FDA oversees bottled water, but their standards do not apply water packaged and sold within the same state. Secondly most bottled water comes in polyethylene terephthalate bottles indicated by a number PET or PETE on the bottle's bottom. When stored in hot or warm temperatures the plastic may leach toxic chemicals into the water. Leaving bottled water sitting in a hot car is even more dangerous because the heat speeds up the process. The same risk applies if you refill a bottle with tap water and leave it in your car.

Bottled water also affects the environment. Virgin petroleum is used to make PET. The more bottles we use the more petroleum is needed. This is a waste of fossil fuels. My recommendation is to drink tap water whenever possible. If you are going out or traveling carry it in a reusable stainless steel or lined drinking container. If you must have bottled water look for brands that have NSF certification and keep the bottles cool.

Think before you drink.

Nutritional Imbalance

When I was a child my mother often said to me "Finish your spinach. You are what you eat." Is their truth to this often repeated statement?

You bet there is.

Several years ago an attorney who was working on the patent for a medical device that I had invented asked me to comment on his rheumatoid arthritis. I looked at him and said that I saw no evidence in his hands of severe arthritis. He told me that he had been crippled with the disease and that nothing his doctor prescribed had helped. Then he found a book titled The Anti Arthritis Diet. He followed its recommendations and within months he was greatly improved.

The book had one major statement. Avoid refined, processed and manufactured foods. Most of these contain fatty acids (omega-6) that are inflammatory. They are found in processed foods such as cookies, crackers, and other snacks. Also avoid corn syrup that is used as a sweetener in many foods. It is quickly digested, as are other simple sugars, and promotes the production of inflammatory substances in the body.

Americans are frequently out of balance in their eating habits. Instead of having a healthy ratio of omega 3 fatty acids to omega 6 fatty acid, the balance is shifted in favor of the omega 6 fatty acids. Please increase your consumption of omega 3 fatty acids by eating fish such as salmon, sardines and herring at least three times a week.

We are also in favor of supplementation. Personally we take omega 3 capsules daily. To learn more about healthy eating use our book TriEnergetics as a resource.

TriEnergetics - The Ultimate Wellness Source

You are not alone if you believe that your health and longevity are determined by your genes. After all if your parents or grandparents lived to a ripe old age chances are you will also. Conversely if they died young chances are so will you. Fortunately this is not true. The latest scientific studies have demonstrated that only about one third of what happens to you in terms of your health is determined by your genetic pool. Two thirds is determined by what you do with what you were given. This startling revelation was the result of a study on several thousand identical twins who for one reason or another were raised in different homes and environments. Even more exciting is the observation that what you do to your body can be passed on genetically to your children. The apple really does not fall far from the tree. The message is loud and clear. Now is the time to get on to a healthier life style. Our book TriEnergetics gives you a six week program that is fun to do and will give amazing results. Look at it an do the program. We guarantee you will love the results. Go to our website at www.trienergetics.com for more information or order the book directly from a link on this blog. There is no better time than now for action.

Diets Don't Work

Diets don't work.

There is more confusion about how to eat than any other aspect of health. The media focuses on the latest fad diet: high protein and low fat this day, low protein and high carb the next; low carb high protein; moderate fat, moderate protein and so on. No wonder people are confused.

Then it gets worse, We hear about the grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet, the all-bran diet, the starvation diet, the drink my drink and look gorgeous tomorrow diet. It is enough to make your head swim.

The facts are really simple. On any diet you will lose weight temporarily. Then it will all come back unless there is a lifestyle change. This has been shown over and over again in rigorous scientific research. Most people refuse to believe this. They want a quick fix or a magic pill. They want to starve their body so that they will burn up the fat. This is wrong. Food is not the enemy. You must feed your body the energy it needs to live and to be strong.

If you eat the proper foods and the proper combinations, you can eat just about as much as you want. The weight will come off naturally. you can actually eat more food and still lose weight. In order to maximize results you need to exercise a bit and you need to learn to eat mindfully.

In our book TriEnergetics we will show you how your body processes the food you eat, so you will understand what your body really needs. We give you an easy to follow exercise program and teach you how to handle the stress in your life that contributes to food abuse and other health issues. Go to our website TriEnergetics.com for more information.

Grapefruit Juice and Wellness: Drug Interactions

Do you love your grapefruit juice? I do, but it's interesting to note that grapefruit juice and a number of commonly taken medicines don't mix.

Grapefruit and its juice can raise levels of certain drugs to a danger point. This is because grapefruit contains substances that disable an enzyme in the small intestine that would otherwise break down the drugs. This happens quickly and can last a day or longer. In other cases grapefruit juice can lower levels of a few drugs by reducing absorption.

Here are some drugs that don't mix with grapefruit:

1) cholesterol-lowering statin drugs such as lipitor, mevacor and zocor;
2) high blood pressure drugs such as procardia;
3)tranquilizers such as valium, halcion and sonata;
4)antidepressants such as zoloft;
5)antihistamines such as allegra;
6)drugs for erectile dysfunction such as viagra and levitra

If you take any medications, and not necessarily only those mentioned above, ask your doctor or pharmacist about taking grapefruit juice. Many drugs carry a warning label if there is a problem with grapefruit; however the absence of a warning does not mean that there is no interaction with grapefruit.

Drink juice and be safe

Wellness and Shingles - A stress disease

We have recently seen several patients in our office who have shingles. This is an extremely painful ailment characterized by a blistering rash usually on the torso or face, and it can involve the eye. The relatives of these patients invariably ask whether the shingles is contagious. The answer is no. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. This is the same virus that causes chickenpox. If you had chickenpox when you were a child, the virus remains dormant in your body for as long as you live. It can re-emerge later to cause shingles.

Usually the outbreak occurs in people who for one reason or another have a depressed immune system. If you have never had chicken pox, you can catch that from someone with shingles, but the virus is less easily transmitted from a shingles patient than from someone with chickenpox which is highly contagious.

There is a new vaccine for shingles approved for people 60 and over. It will prevent about half of all cases of shingles and will reduce the severity of an attack if it does occur.

Obesity and You

Are you satisfied that you are doing all that you can to be as healthy and have as much vitality and energy as you desire? Is being overweight a problem? Have you tried one of the fad diets, lost weight and then regained it plus maybe a few pounds more? If you answer yes and are stuck looking for a solution I have answers for you with a very effective medically endorsed program that I guaranteed to work and is fun to do. But first of all let me give you some facts.

The first problem is that we do not have an effective health care program in this country. We have what I have termed "sick care." This means to me that most people don't go to the doctor to build up their immune systems and stay healthy, rather they go when they are sick. We are putting the cart before the horse. The American life style is a problem. In this country we are first in spending on health care but second to last of the 13 wealthiest countries in average healthy days per year per person. 50 to 60% of Americans are overweight and greater than 60 million are obese carrying 2.5 billion pounds of fat. The percent of obese Americans has increased from 14% in 1980 to greater than 30% in 2000. The percent of obese children has doubled since 1980. The percent of obese adolescents has tripled. Furthermore for the first time in our history the life expectancy of our children is less than ours. This is a consequence of obesity that causes type II diabetes and other illnesses. It is estimated that obesity is responsible for 300,000 deaths annually, second only to smoking as a cause of death. The estimated cost to our health care system for obesity related illness is more than $100 billion a year.

Aren't these facts breathtaking? What is the solution? Obviously a change in lifestyle. But what do you change? How much do you need to exercise? Do you diet? What do you do about the stress in your life? How do you find the facts you need in a sea of information, advertisements and propaganda? We have studied this problem and done the homework for you. Besides my son and I, who are physicians, have consulted with a nutritionist, an exercise physiologist, 2 psychologists and a zen master. Together we have constructed a six week program that will change your life. It is easy to follow, fun to do and can be started by anyone of any age, level of physical fitness, or of health. If you follow the program you will look better, feel younger, lose weight, have more energy, improve your sex drive, lower your cholesterol and your blood pressure. We guarantee this because we have seen it happen over and over again in The TriEnergetics programs we have run. Does this interest you? I appreciate your comments.

For more information go to our website by using the link on this blog or go directly by using the address www.TriEnergetics.com.