Green Health Spot

The Ultimate Hiccup Cure

Doctors don't really know what causes hiccups which are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm...a muscle separating the lungs and abdominal area in your torso.  We've all had them and the hiccups can be almost impossible to get rid of. I've had cases that have lasted up to an hour.  Prior to this new hiccup cure that I'm about to share with you the second more effective technique has been a technique that a friend taught me years ago. This technique was to take a deep breath, hold and steadily increase the amount of air in your lungs by adding air little by little until your diaphragm stretches out.  Just like relieving a cramped calf muscle this stretches out the diaphragm and stops the spasming.  This technique has worked about 70% of the time for me. 

Recently, I learned a technique that my boyfriend, Jamie, devised during his bartending days over 25 years ago.  It has worked 100% of the time that I have seen it work and it works immediately.  It also seems to give us a hint as to what is really going on during a hiccup attack.  You are about the learn the ultimate hiccup technique but it does not seem to work on the individual who knows what to do during a hiccup attack.  You can astound your friends with your ability to get rid of their hiccups but will not likely be able to get rid of your own episode with this same technique (sorry about that). 

Here is what to do (it's so very simple).  When someone has hiccups ask them their middle name.  As they think of their name, it immediately and permanently stops the hiccups.  Ok, that's it.  I don't think the particular question is as important but the mental diversion seems to be imperative.  Don't preface the question with anything, just ask the question. The question usually stuns the individual into answering the question and during the thinking of the answer the hiccups stop.  The question seems to need to be one that the person with the hiccups knows the answer to and can remember the answer.  So don't ask them a question they don't know the answer to or something that requires mental calculation. It's best to ask them their own middle name, not yours.  Or if they already know the trick ask them a similar question requiring them to use their memory centers.

I think that this indicates that hiccups have to do with the brain and signals from the brain rather than a locally isolated problem such as a muscle contraction of the diaphragm.  Otherwise, I can't think why this technique would work repeatedly and on everyone I've seen it performed on.  On Friday, Jamie's friend came up to him with hiccups that he had had for over an hour, asked if Jamie knew what to for hiccups and Jamie responded with the "What's your middle name?" question.  As his friend answered, the hiccups disappeared immediately.  It was this particular event that I witnessed that reminded me to tell you about the very important cure to a very annoying issue.  This technique seems to work regardless of what initially caused the hiccups.  Try it out on your friends and let me know if it works for you.

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Non-Fat Milk, Prostate Cancer and Vitamin D: How they are Related

Recently the Journal of Epidemiology came out with a study that showed that non-fat milk, but not whole milk was related to the progression of advanced prostate cancer.  Remember how a few months ago we talked about Vitamin D, sunshine and cancer rates?  Well, here is another example of how important it is to consume a food as close to nature as possible.  Whole milk contains a number of vitamins, particularly fat soluble vitamins including Vitamins A, D, E and K not found in fat free milk.  Now, I'm not saying that adults should drink a lot of milk in general but if you do choose to drink milk choosing to drink whole milk has health benefits not immediately obvious to the waistline. 

The press on fat generally is that the lower the fat content, the better it is for your waistline, cholesterol and heart disease.  However, we must look at these recommendations judiciously. When you are consuming a lot of fat free or low fat products you are also filtering out (often unnaturally) the fat soluble vitamins in the food.  The best choice in this matter is to ensure that you eat the whole foods in moderation.  For adults I don't recommend drinking large amounts of milk due to the hormones, fats and allergenic reasons.  But the milk you do choose to drink should be whole milk with all the associated vitamins that came with the milk.  It is more and more difficult to get raw milk which has all the nutrients and enzymes in the milk.  Raw milk does NOT contain the betacellulin which is a fraction of the milk protein in pasteurized milk often related to stimulation of cancer cells. California is one of about 3 states where it is still legal to purchase raw milk in stores and this may change in the next few months. 

Overall, to reduce prostate cancer risk men should increase their exposure to sunshine (approximately 5-20 minutes per day depending on where you live and what time of year it is), drink green tea, and if you drink milk, make sure it is organic whole milk.  Whole milk needs to be organic because the organic milk does not have growth hormones fed to the cows which are linked to the development and progression of prostate cancer.  For you women out there whole milk is better for you than fat free milk due to the vitamin D, if you drink milk.  Just because you don't have a prostate does not mean that you can't benefit from reduced cancer risks associated with avoiding fat free milk. 

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Antidoting Methylmercury Toxicity...is There Hope on the Horizon?

University of Rochester Medical School's Environmental Medicine Department recently published an article in the Environmental Health Perspectives January 2008 issue reporting the exciting findings of using N-acetylcysteine or NAC as an antidote to methylmercury toxicity.  NAC is an antioxidant and detoxifying agent that seems to bind and allow the body to excrete methylmercury via the kidney without effects on mineral levels essential to normal body functioning.  Researchers have found that injections of NAC allowed the body to excrete about 5% of the methylmercury in exposed rats within the first 2 hours.  This is compared to about 0.1% of the mercury that was excreted in the control rats during this same time. 

Even more exciting is the ability for pregnant rats given NAC to protect their fetuses from mercury exposure.  Brain and placenta toxicity was found to be markedly reduced through the administration of NAC during pregnancy.  The amount of mercury excreted seemed to be proportional to body burden and seems to be a good marker for mercury toxicity therapy without affecting minerals load on the body.  Administration of NAC seems to be able to reduce methylmercury concentration in developing fetuses by 70-90%. 

As many of you know autism has been related partially to mercury toxicity often through exposure to mercury during pregnancy. I often recommend to my patients who are planning to become pregnant to get tested for heavy metals and subsequently chelated for heavy metals if their test results indicate.  Heavy metal body burden of the mother can be transferred via placenta and cord blood thus affecting irreversibly the developing baby's brain and nervous system. 

Sushi Tuna Contains High Levels of Mercury

Here's sad news for all you sushi lovers out there.  Recently the New York Times did a random test of popular sushi restaurants in New York City and found that in some cases only 6 slices (that's SIX!) of sushi tuna will put a person over the government's established level of safe mercury consumption. 

Now, I've always known that sushi grade tuna such as Bluefin, which is one of the more common tunas used for sushi, contains more mercury than albacore.  A couple of months ago I wrote a post about the Tuna Calculator which helps you know how much canned tuna you can eat every week before you get more Mercury than is safe in your diet.  At that time based on my weight I found out I could eat less than 1/2 of a 4 ounce can of Albacore Tuna a week before getting too much mercury. 

Now, I've alway been a huge sushi fan and tuna was one of my favorites.  A few years ago I generally stopped eating tuna, raw oysters (which I also loved) and clams.  Ecodefense lists here the best and worst types of tuna to ingest.  Just keep in mind that the larger and usually the more higher grade of tuna, the greater amounts of mercury the fish will likely contain.  This has to do with the length of time the fish has been swimming around in the ocean and the greater length of time the fish gets to consume mercury contaminated foods.  Similarly this too is the reason that predatory fish such as sharks and swordfish are always unsafe to consume, especially for women of child bearing age and children. 

Mercury gets into the water through pollution generated by coal burning power plants, mining, some factories and waste incinerators.  Rain run-off leads to movement of the pollution from our streets into rivers and streams thus eventually ending back in the ocean contaminating our fish and ourselves.  The organic mercury is converted by bacteria into methylmercury which then lodges in the fish and our muscle tissues if we consume the fish, inhale mercury vapors or drink water that has mercury contamination.  Mercury toxicity is difficult to detect and is not commonly found in blood tests that your doctor uses.  If you are experiencing memory problems, emotional lability such as anxiety, depression and excessive anger as well as fatigue and repeated colds and flus consider being tested for heavy metals.  Just remember that a blood test for mercury or lead is neither accurate nor preferred for overall exposure to mercury.

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Toothpaste Woes: Fluoride's Dark Side (New Info)

This is a quick post to link you to a very interesting blog post on the history of fluoridation on January 25, 1945 on Wired Magazine's site.  Some of the history of how policies are implemented on topics such as fluoridation are always interesting to me.  It can help many of you out there better understand that each decision made in public health has a background that often sources from faulty logic or insufficient research.

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Stop a Cold or Flu in Its Tracks Part 2

Today we are describing how to do a contrast shower treatment to help with your colds as well as helping prevent colds and flus when you are feeling something coming on.  With all of this wild weather, ice, rain, snow, it is so easy to catch a cold and be out for a week.  Most of us can feel when a cold is about to hit so taking preventative measures can make your next cold much more mild or go away before it starts.  Check out yesterday's post on other tips to stop your cold or flu in its tracks.

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Stop a Cold or Flu in Its Tracks Part 1

This is the first of a two part series about how to reduce the risk of developing a cold or flu.  Isn't it frustrating that most of us know that a cold or flu is coming up yet we often feel helpless to do anything to stop it.  Here are some quick tips to help stop the development of a cold or flu quickly and easily.  Here is the summary:

• Take Echinacea
• Take Vitamin C
• Get a lot of sleep
• Stop all excessive sugar intake
• Stop mucous producing foods (dairy products, orange juice and bananas)
• Don't exercise
• Reduce Stress
• Hot/Cold Contrast Showers/Baths (see tomorrow's video blog for details)

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Recover from Colds and Flus Faster

In this video blog I talk about why not to use NSAIDS (ie: Tylenol, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin) as the first line of defense against a fever.  The fever mechanism is a normal immune response to bacterial or viral infection and works best if left alone.  Allow your child or yourself to run a fever, I know it's uncomfortable, but it really helps you recover from colds and flus much more quickly.  Tomorrow I'll talk about my favorite natural things to do for cold and flu prevention.

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A Great Alternative to Cow's Milk for the Allergic

My practice is full of children with dairy allergies and a common question is for parents to ask me about alternatives to cow dairy and how their children can get enough calcium in their diet.  My favorite recommendation for those who are cow dairy sensitive is to give your children goat milk.  Goat milk is terrific, even if you are an adult who gets lots of mucus when drinking cow milk, there is less of a problem with goat milk.  As a food, goat milk is very close in structure to human breast milk which is one of the greatest benefits for those allergic to other dairy products.  Goat milk has slightly more calcium, less lactose, more vitamins A, B, and riboflavin than cow's milk.  It has only slightly less casein than cows milk, a protein that affects some allergic children or some kids who are autistic so be careful if your child is one of those. 

There are many goat products out there including delicious cheeses, yogurt, butter and milk.  I haven't found goat ice cream or sour cream but the other selections are a good start.  One thing about goat milk is that the fats are very homogenized into the milk so that fattier foods made out of goat milk are difficult to come by since the goat milk fat does not rise to the surface easily.  Thus the scarcity of ice cream, sour cream and whipping cream.  It also explains why butter usually prices out at about $12 a pound.  But for those kids out there who gets asthma, eczema, frequent ear, sinus or throat infections goat dairy products are a very good option for many.  Some lactose intolerant people can also tolerate more goat milk product than cow milk products.  Incidentally, most lactose intolerant people will be able to tolerate yogurt because the fermentation process breaks down the sugar in the milk thus not leaving your digestive system the task. 

So, if your kids are allergic or sensitive to cow milk the first thing to try is goat milk which is readily available at Safeway, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in California.  Here is a link to a large producer of goat milk just in case you live outside of California and need a vendor.  Remember, goat milk is not a casein free product so if your child is on a casein free diet, this is not a choice for him. 

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Toothpaste Woes: Fluoride's Dark Side

Parents don't let your children swallow their toothpaste.  Seems like an odd thing to say but young children can ingest almost half of the toothpaste that is put onto their toothbrushes at every brushing.  Did you know that about half a tube of toothpaste can have enough fluoride in it to kill your child?  Did you even know that fluoride is a toxic element?  Did you know it is slightly more toxic than Lead (Pb)? 

I bring this up because studies are starting to show that fluoride is more toxic than scientists have originally thought and that the EPA's maximum contaminant level (MCL) is likely too high to keep us safe from the effects of fluoride toxicity.  The National Research Council (NRC) published in 2006 a report that encourages the EPA to take a second look at their MCL for fluoride which is currently set at 4 ppm (parts per million).  So let me see if I get this straight.  Fluoride is slightly more toxic than Lead and we are adding it to our water supply, toothpaste, mouthwashes to prevent cavities.  The EPA's MCL for fluoride is 4 ppm and 0.015 for Lead (that's 250 times higher than the 'safe' level for lead).  What would the EPA say if we wanted to add Lead to our water?  Oh wait, Lead is one of those things that all water districts test for because of its toxicity!  We don't want Lead in our water but fluoride is ok, right? 

Ok, forgive the sarcastic tone but not enough is being said about fluoride concerns.  How would you get your fluoride to prevent cavities if you didn't have it in your water and toothpaste?  Well, maybe from the raisins (2.34 ppm), Black tea (3.73 ppm), White wine (2.02 ppm), apple flavored juice (1.09 ppm), diet coke (0.60 ppm), hot dogs (0.48 ppm), beer (0.45 ppm), chocolate (0.23 ppm), coffee (0.91 ppm)...starting to get the picture?  So why should we care about fluoride?  What are the possible toxic symptoms?

Sex After 50 Keeping it Enjoyable

A big complaint that I am encountering in my practice in post-menopausal women is how to deal naturally with vaginal dryness and pain on sexual intercourse due to the decrease in estrogen.  So I decided to put together a few easy to do self-treatments for all of you women out there who are coming up on menopause and still wanting to have an active and pleasurable sex life.  Fortunately, there are more options out there than simply using estrogen creams to keep vaginal and vulvar tissues plump and resilient. 

As the active baby boomer set ages doctors are realizing that more new complaints are coming to the forefront related to helping the body keep up with our active and youthful lifestyles.  Men have Viagra or Cialis for any erectile dysfunction concerns to the point that men in their eighties (if they are so inclined) can keep sexually active for hours.  For women, it isn't quite as easy.  If we use the estrogen creams offered by the gynecologist it helps with the vaginal dryness but it increases our chance of developing a hormonally related cancer such as breast, ovary or colon.  But why shouldn't women partake in the active sexual lifestyle they are used to since their early years? 

A couple of weeks ago I was spouting the amazing antibacterial qualities of Manuka honey used in some hospitals for MRSA skin infections and wounds that do not heal and in my post about healing stomach ulcers with honey.  In our discussion today I'm going to propose a honey and vitamin E combination applied vaginally for women with atrophic vaginitis (aka vaginal dryness).  Now don't panic, it's actually easier than it sounds and you don't have to use it for very long before you see results.  If you used vitamin E suppositories by themselves you will find that after about 4-6 weeks the vaginal tissue will be much more flexible and supple and best of all...moist.  Adding honey to the mix will accelerate the tissue repair. 

In menopause, as estrogen levels decrease the glycogen levels in the vaginal lining decreases.  Glycogen is required for the plumping of the vaginal tissues thereby allowing intercourse to be well lubricated.  Many women find that just a vaginal lubricant is not enough for their needs and if the lubricant contains glycerin it can lead to bacterial or yeast infections.  There are lubricants that do not contain glycerin  or parabens which I recommend, one of my favorites is the brand "Sliquid", a lubricant that is slippery without containing glycerin. 

Back to the honey/vitamin E applications.  The honey treatment applied with vitamin E will result in increased vaginal resilience within days.  You can reapply the treatment as needed but some women can go for weeks or months not having to do so.  You can use a syringe to apply the honey and follow with a couple of natural Vitamin E capsules punctured on the top and bottom.  I would get the largest dosage you can find at the health food store...800 iu or so.  Do this at night right before sleep and obviously use a pad during these nights it can get messy.  If you are prone to getting yeast or bacterial infections, use care and Manuka honey will be best in this case.  Otherwise, just use a high quality honey.

There are some herbs that can also be helpful for you...black cohosh, salvia (sage), calendula and aloe vera.  I'm not a fan of soy or soy isoflavones because of the same concerns I have about estrogen prescriptions.  Vitamin A suppositories can also be a help in this endeavor.  Some doctors who use compounding pharmacies can prescribe these herb and honey/vitamin E mix to be made into a cream or suppositories.  So find a doctor who can help keep your sex life active and fun. 

Just a note to remind you that hormone balance such as thyroid, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone concerns should be balanced to achieve optimal libido and sexual performance, don't forget to ask your doctor about those tests as well.

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Can Too Much Calcium Lead to Heart Attacks?

A recent research study done at the University of Auckland in New Zealand has been finding that there is a possible elevated risk of heart disease and heart attacks in post-menopausal women supplementing with calcium.  In a study of 1500 women who were given calcium supplements to prevent osteoporosis there was a 40% increase of heart attacks in the women given a calcium supplement of 1000 mg per day.   It was initially thought that heart diseases could be prevented by supplementing with calcium.  Many scientists speculate on what the cause of this surprising finding may be, such as calcium depositing on the wall of the blood vessels leading to coronary artery disease but the answer may be quite simple. 

In naturopathic medicine one learns early in training that supplementing with a single mineral or vitamin for an extended period of time (and in some cases not so extended periods) can lead to detrimental effects on the body.  It is rare in nature to find a single mineral or vitamin in isolation from it's balancing partners so too it is unusual that I will recommend supplementing a vitamin, mineral or amino acid by itself for more than a few weeks at a time.  Common examples include b12 supplementation without supplementing with folic acid will lead to folic acid deficiencies and vice versa.  Zinc supplementation without copper will lead to leaching of copper out of the body.  Excessive sodium intake leads to potassium deficiency and so on.  So it is natural and reasonable to think that supplementing with calcium alone can lead to deficiencies of the body, one major concern being magnesium. 

Magnesium is required for the utilization of calcium in the bones and in the absence of magnesium, calcium levels will be elevated in the blood and not used to build bones.  Magnesium is depleted by over-supplementing with calcium and since magnesium is imperative for prevention of osteoporosis, heart attacks, muscle spasms, PMS and other bodily functions, it is normal to expect that if your doctor recommends that you take calcium you should also be told that you need a proportional amount of magnesium to assist with the calcium utilization (in this case about 2:1 calcium to magnesium). 

Dairy is often cited as a good source of calcium but its magnesium content is quite low so here are some other food sources that have higher magnesium content to integrate into your diet:

Liver Support Salad Recipe

This salad is a healthy way to support and heal your liver.  It is also very decorative and can be served in place of cole slaw or as a side to chicken or beef.  It is useful if you are chemically sensitive, have had hepatitis or have been diagnosed with fatty liver or any other liver degenerative process.  It is easy to make a whole week's worth and to have about 1/2 to 1 cup of the salad every day. 

A note of importance, this salad contains red beets.  Red beets will affect the color of your urine and stools.  In other words beets come out the same color they went in.  No need to be concerned if you have pink urine or stools if you have recently eaten a lot of beets.

3 grated raw organic beets, well washed
2 grated raw organic carrots, well washed
1/2 chopped red onion
1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon, squeezed, organic
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together, let marinade in refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. 

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How To Prepare For Your Visit to the Doctor

In this video blog I talk about how to prepare for a visit to your doctor for maximum efficacy.  If you are suffering from something don't go to your doctor unprepared.  Think of your doctor visit as a co-management case.  Your doctor is helping you get better.  You should bring any and all information that will help her figure out what is going on and how to treat it.  Make sure you have a list of questions so that you are clear on what is going on.  Ensure your doctor takes the time to explain everything to you.  What she is considering, why one thing might be possible and another not etc.  Don't allow yourself to be bullied by time constraints on your doctor's part.  If you aren't getting sufficient answers or are getting answers that don't feel right or are too severe, make sure you get a second or third opinion.  The leg you save might just be your own.  If you aren't able to establish a good rapport with your doctor, find another one you can talk to.  It will make a difference in the outcome.  Know that there is almost always a solution to your problem.  Just because your doctor doesn't know the answer right now doesn't mean that he or she can't find the answer or that someone can't help you. 

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What Your Doctor Should Consider if you are Fatigued

This video blog talks about a lot of possibilities that your doctor might not consider when you go to her with fatigue complaints.  Make sure you are armed with adequate information and don't let your doctor ignore your very real complaints. 

I also forgot to mention on the video that heavy metals contribute to fatigue usually through suppression of immune function.  Food sensitivities or food allergies also will contribute to brain fog, migraines and fatigue.  Usually these two things play a role in the exhaustion but are only contributing factors, usually not the only underlying cause.

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Thyroid Testing, is TSH enough?

This video blog discusses how to ensure that your doctor tests your thyroid more completely than just TSH.  This will help hone the accuracy of where your thyroid function goes awry.  Make sure that you as the patient understand the finer points of thyroid testing and how adrenals might play into your weight gain and fatigue.  This video will help empower you at your doctor's office so that you can feel better more quickly.  Part of the vibrant living ideal is to have plenty of energy and to wake refreshed with undisturbed sleep.  The goal of these videos is to help you understand how to get to that place.  Also see yesterday's video on why your thyroid medications might make you feel worse. 

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Why Don't You Feel Better on Thyroid Medication?

Here's a troubling situation...you are fatigued, you are gaining weight, cold, exhausted and constipated.  Your doctor tests you for low thyroid function and has figured out that your thyroid is lower than expected.  You are prescribed synthroid or something similar and you then feel awful after taking it.  You feel anxious, edgy, have heart palpitations, can't sleep etc.  Your doctor can't figure out why you aren't tolerating the medication.  They give you anti-anxiety medications to go with the thyroid medication to ease the feeling but you still fell awful.  In this video we talk about why this is the case for some people.  Adrenal fatigue.  Make sure your doctor checks your adrenals. 

Blood tests for adrenals are not usually sufficient.  Adrenals are best tested using a saliva test.  This way your doctor can track how your adrenals are functioning throughout the day and pinpoint specifically when your adrenals are most weak.  This can also tell your doctor if you are trending up or down in your recovery.  Also, tomorrow's video blog describes what your doctor should test for to ensure complete thyroid testing.  Just the TSH is not sufficient. 

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Fast Cars and Freedom: Find the Zing in your Life

Do you love your life?  What can you change about yourself to make your life really sing?  Most of us would answer that if we won the lottery or if we were married (or divorced) or if the kids would leave the house, then we would be happy.  Have you put your life on hold unknowingly?  Maybe it's because you don't know what comes next after college or after you've achieved the ultimate job or after your kids are old enough to go to school.  Think of this year as your year of Freedom.  Freedom from those things in your life that make you unhappy, down, dull, average and boring.  And freedom to start that career that you really want.  Freedom to be happy and to find your own path.  Over these weeks and months we will talk about what you could possibly do to really define and embrace a passionate life. 

We'll take little steps.  We'll do this together.  What is the first step to making your life one that you deliberately craft for yourself?  It is the realization that you can have more than what you have now.  Many of us are so habituated toward doing what we have always done we don't stop to ask ourselves whether or not we really should be doing what we are doing.  So I'm starting a weekly journaling or thought provoking posts on the topic of vibrant living; What makes you burn with passion?  Follow along with us, share with us your process.  You will find that at the end of the year your life might just be octaves better than it was in January because you started to find what you truly want.

Diabetics Improve Blood Sugar by Reducing EMF's

Tonight I'm writing my blog from the Sofitel Hotel in Redwood Shores because of a power outage at my home in Menlo Park.  The whole of California seems to be one giant puddle of water with tree branches and debris everywhere from the hurricane force winds and continuous rain.  Naturally, as with every wind storm that passes through Menlo Park, my home loses power.  PG&E assures me that they are doing all they can to restore power to my neighborhood, so I decided to take a holiday and settle into my favorite local hotel.  By they way, the Sofitel has great croissants for breakfast and their lobster bisque is phenomenal.  Their beds are famous for their comfort as well.  Anyhow, my power outage prompted me to write a post on the health effects of EMFs (electromagnetic fields). 

Initial research indicates that type 2 diabetic patients can reduce their fasting blood sugar.  Diabetics on insulin can reduce the amount of insulin required daily by cleaning their home of EMFs.  Sounds odd, I know but in one study elderly patient's need for insulin dropped from 36 to 9 units per day.  Fasting blood sugar can reduce from an average of 171 to 119 if microsurge filters were plugged into electrical wall outlets.  Thereby reducing the electrical pollution in a room.  The effects on an individual can be seen in minutes.  The research is still coming out on this subject but it seems that for some progressive MS (multiple sclerosis) patients could walk without a cane after cleaning up electrical pollution from their homes. 

People living near electrical transmission lines are also much more at risk for developing type 2 diabetes according to one Australian study.  Dr. Magda Havas, a Canadian researcher was surprised at her findings regarding electrical pollution and the population of type 2 diabetic patients she was studying.  Many patients could significantly reduce their insulin intake as they reduced the amount of electronic devices in their home and used electrical filters.  Specifically, Dr. Havas' research used the StezeriZer home filters. 

Here are some things to do to decrease your EMF exposure:

• Move digital clock/radios at least 4 feet from your head, preferably across the room.
• Remove the unnecessary electrical devices from your living area.
• Unplug (don't just turn off) electrical devices when you are not using them.
• Use electrical filters to filter out excessive electrical pollution.
• Read Greenbuilder.com's handout on How to Reduce EMFs in the home
• If you live near a powerline, move.
• Consider installing electromagnetic interference shields or active cancellation devices
• If you use an electric blanket, heat up the bed before you get into it and then unplug the blanket once you get into your warm bed.

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Which Fruits and Vegetables Should you Buy Organic?

Love peaches in the summertime?  Get them organically grown.  Did you know that organically grown fruits and vegetables have higher nutrient content than their conventionally grown counterparts?  Organically grown produce are grown without chemical pesticides, artificial fertilizers, biotechnology or irradiation.  They are both higher in nutritional value as well as their growing practices being more environmentally friendly.  For organically grown meats, the animals are not given antibiotics, growth hormones and were fed organic feed. 

Not all fruits and vegetables are highly sprayed.  Here is a list of the worst to the best conventionally grown vegetables and fruits in terms of their pesticide concentrations found on the food.  The Environmental Working Group has determined that you can reduce your intake of pesticides by about 90% if you avoid consuming the to 12 worst contaminated fruits and vegetables.  Here is the list of the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables (these are the ones you should eat organic).

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes (Imported)
10. Pears
11. Spinach
12. Potatoes

Here are the 12 best, least contaminated fruits and vegetables:

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn (Frozen)
4. Pineapples
5. Mango
6. Sweet Peas (Frozen)
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Bananas
10. Cabbage
11. Broccoli
12. Eggplant

To see the whole list of 43 fruits and vegetables that were tested by the EWG, click here.
Pesticides can disrupt hormone function and balance and have been linked to cancers, headaches and birth defects, to name a few.  According to the National Academy of Sciences, even low doses of pesticide exposure in children and pregnant women can be toxic to developing fetuses and developing brains of children. Redbook magazine published a great article on the rationale for organic foods that can be found in their September 2007 issue of Redbook.

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