Skip to content
Free shipping on orders $40+

Archives

15 Cancer Prevention Tips

The International Agency for Research on Cancer projects that the number of people with cancer will increase by 75% by the year 2030 as we continue the unhealthy habits of our “Westernized” lifestyle and as developing countries adopt our lifestyle.

As developing countries become more affluent they also pick up the bad habits of fast foods, huge portions, poor diets, and less exercise.

In affluent countries like ours, cancer is the 1st or 2nd leading cause of death, but so many of us believe that despite our being over-weight, making poor food choices, eating way too many calories, and doing far less exercise than we should, cancer will happen to somebody else…..NOT ME!

Some of us feel “good health” is a right to which we are entitled, and  should not have to “work” to stay healthy.  I think good health is a goal that we all should strive for and like other goals, something that we have to consciously “work” at to achieve and maintain.

15 Things To Do To Decrease Your Risk of Developing Cancer:

1-     Eat vegetables – Especially broccoli and broccoli sprouts, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and carrots

2-     Avoid charbroiled meats, processed meats and packaged meats

3-     Consume small amounts of berries like blueberries or black raspberries a few times a week.

4-     Cut way back on your daily sugar intake.  Reduce soda and fruit juice intake and instead replace with sparkling mineral water.  Reduce dessert to a treat that you eat just once or twice a week and even then in small amounts

5-     Take a daily multiple vitamin

6-     Daily consumption of a turmeric (95% curcumin) supplement at 1000-1500 mg/day and a green tea supplement (50% EGCG) 1000-1500 mg/day

7-     Daily consumption of 500 mg. of ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

8-     Exercise both with weight for resistance and aerobically. For your aerobic exercise, spend 90 seconds at a moderate pace and then increase to a very challenging pace for 30 seconds.  Work up to doing this cycle 6-8 times, 3 days a week.

9-     Make salads a mainstay in your diet and use healthy dressings like vinaigrette or balsamic.

bowl of salad

10-  Make additive-free chicken and turkey breast your primary sources of meat

11- Consume at least 1500 mg/day of the omega-3 essential fatty acids EPA and DHA

12-  Eat salmon or tuna at least once or twice a week

13- Get lots of fiber into your diet, from flaxseeds, psyllium, high fiber cereals and vegetables

14- Do not smoke

15- Use protection when in the sun

These healthy habits will go along way if you make them part of your lifestyle and daily routine.

To the best of health,

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

 

Want to Live Longer?…Make Sure You Are Supplementing with Vitamin D!

METABOLIC SYNDROME AND THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF VITAMIN D

A recent study published in the journal Diabetes Care, found that people who are diagnosed with “metabolic syndrome” (estimated to exist in 33% of Americans) maintaining optimal levels of Vitamin D reduces the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease by 66% and the risk of dying from all causes by 75%.

In addition, the study found that risk of sudden death decreased by 85% and the risk of dying from congestive heart failure by 76%.

Metabolic Syndrome (METs) is a condition defined by the presences of 3 or more of the following conditions:

  • central obesity: waist circumference ≥ 102 cm or 40 inches (male), ≥ 88 cm or 36 inches(female)
  • dyslipidemia: Triglycerides levels equal to or greater than  1.7 mmol/L (150 mg/dl)
  • dyslipidemia: HDL-C less than 40 mg/dL (male),  less than 50 mg/dL (female)
  • blood pressure equal to or greater than 130/85 mmHg
  • fasting plasma glucose equal to or greater than 6.1 mmol/L (110 mg/dl)

The presence of METs increases the risk of developing both type II diabetes and heart disease.

Your vitamin D levels can easily be checked by your physician. Optimum levels should be around 125 nmol/liter or 40-60 ng/ml.

I suggest taking at least 1000 IU of vitamin D-3 daily and checking your levels to make sure that this dose is getting you to the optimum levels described above.

There are several other significant health benefits that are being proposed for Vitamin D.  Not only does Vitamin D reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, it helps fight infections of all kinds including, colds and the flu. Vitamin D helps your immune system attack and destroy bacteria and viruses and helps prevent autoimmune diseases.

To the best of health,

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

 

 

Does High Dose Calcium Prevent Bone Fractures?

Is Supplementing with High Dose Calcium a Good Idea for Preventing Bone Fractures?

Millions of women are told by their physicians to take 1000-1500 mg/day of calcium supplements primarily to reduce the risk of bone fractures.

Professionally, I think this is NOT a good idea and may have significant adverse health effects.

The Chinese and Japanese cultures, which historically eat little or no dairy products and therefore get less than half the calcium that is in American diets containing dairy, have substantially lower fracture rates than Americans.

For those professionals who specialize in staying on top of the literature that is published about the benefits of certain herbs and dietary supplements, it is well known that vitamin D, vitamin K and magnesium are KEY players in bone health.

In fact, it is my opinion, that intakes of magnesium (at least 500 mg/day), vitamin D (at least 1000 IU/day) and vitamin K-1 and K-2 (at least 500 mcg/day) with small daily amounts of calcium from dairy or 250 mg/day from a supplement, will offer more protection against fractures than these dangerously high doses of 1000-1500 mg of calcium per day that are being recommended, WITHOUT THE HEALTH RISKS THAT ARE DISCUSSED BELOW.

 

vitamin D

Should you take Vitamin D supplements

 

Cardiologist routinely measure “coronary artery calcium” (CAC) levels because they are known to be a reliable marker for atherosclerosis. Calcium actually can build up in the arteries, a phenomenon known as “arterial calcification”, which can also lead to stroke, heart attack and eye problems.

In fact, a recent study of 24,000 people, done at the University of Zurich, suggests that older Americans taking calcium supplements to reduce fracture risk may be increasing their risk of getting a heart attack. The researchers said this risk came about only in those taking dietary supplements of calcium and not in those getting their calcium from food.

The researchers reported an 86% increase in heart attack risk in people who took regular supplements of calcium versus those who didn’t take any supplements.

The study is somewhat controversial with some experts questioning “why there would be increased heart attack risk with taking dietary supplements of calcium but not with taking foods containing calcium?”

Personally, I don’t know why this surprises these experts because many foods that contain calcium also contain magnesium which is very important for bone health. Other factors in foods like vitamin K may help the calcium to get into the bone and not be absorbed by the arteries which is dangerous.

The bottom line for me is: If you eat reasonable amounts of dairy products you probably don’t need to supplement calcium at all.

If you don’t eat dairy products at all you can still get sufficient calcium from foods such as:

Salmon 6-8 ounces 440 mg

Shrimp 6 ounces 300 mg

Mackerel 6 ounces 600 mg

Kale, collard greens, broccoli (1 cup) – 200 mg

Almonds 6 ounces 700mg

Walnuts 6 ounces

 

In good health,

 

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

Related article:   Say NO to Osteoporosis Drugs and High Dose Calcium! – By Curt Hendrix

Waist to Hip Ratio May Be More Important Than Your Weight

WAIST TO HIP RATIO MAY BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR BODY WEIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH AND DISEASE

It probably comes as no surprise, to any of you who are even a bit health conscious, that Americans are not the picture of health. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) state that over 50% of Americans are over-weight and it is predicted by year 2030 that close to 50% of Americans will be obese.

I have written in previous articles that excess weight is your enemy and increases the risks of developing hypertension and most chronic degenerative diseases.  I’ve also pointed out that “all weight is not the same”!  (links to past articles below)

For example, if you are exceptionally muscular, though your weight may classify you as being over-weight for your height, you do not have the same degree of risk of someone who weighs what you weigh but has a body fat percentage that is 10-20 points higher than yours.

 

 

So weight alone can be a misleading indicator of risk!  I have also written that the “location” of your weight plays a BIG role in just how dangerous your extra weight is to you.

Based upon current research and understanding, excess weight around your waist and belly area is much more dangerous to your health than excess weight around your hips, thighs, arms and back.

The fat cells (adipocytes) in this area seem to generate more hormones and other chemicals that can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, obesity and even cancer.

Therefore measurement of your body weight or your Body Mass Index (a ratio of your weight to height) does not tell the whole story because it doesn’t take into consideration where your excess weight is located.

WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO and How to Calculate It

It may turn out that the “waist-to-hip” ratio is a better index of increased health risk because it is comparing the excess weight you carry in the “dangerous waist/belly” area to the weight you carry below this area.

Calculate your waist to hip ratio

 

It’s quite simple to calculate. Just divide your waist measurement (in either inches or centimeters) by your hip measurement.

Place the tape measure so that is crosses your belly button when taking your waist measurement and measure your hips around the widest area.

For men a waist to hip ration of .95 or above is undesirable.  For women, a ratio of .80 or above is undesirable. Which is the ratio that is normally attempted by using a latex waist training corset.

Also for men, it is thought that a waist measurement of 40 inches or above is too high and that for women a measurement of 35 or above is too high.

A recent study done at the University of Minnesota found that belly fat (abdominal obesity) was associated with increased risk of “sudden cardiac death.”  According to the CDC, “sudden cardiac death” causes 250,000 deaths a year.

There is no “magic” way to just cut back specifically on your abdominal fat.  You’ve heard it before:

  • Cut back on simple sugars – i.e. desserts and sugary soft drinks
  • Cut back on daily calorie intake.  You must consume on average less than 2000 calories a day to lose weight (unless you are doing a lot of aerobic, calorie burning exercise)
  • Exercise helps to add to weight loss that occurs with calorie restriction. Try interval training (walk, cycle or jog for 3-4 minutes at a moderate pace, then for 30 seconds increase your speed to your absolute maximum, then return to the moderate pace for another 90 seconds. Then once again increase to your max for 30 seconds. You may only be able to do this cycle one or two times at the beginning (depending upon what kind of aerobic shape you are in), but pretty quickly you will find that you can get up to 5-8 complete cycles.

Couple this with reasonable caloric restriction and the fat will disappear faster than you thought possible.

*Before starting any exercise regimen, confirm with your physician that it is safe for you to do.

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N.  C.N.S.

 More Informative Articles:
–
–
–
–

Why There’s Always Room for Dessert

WHY THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR DESSERT, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY EATEN!

Many, many, years ago, I asked my little daughter who was 5 or 6 at the time, why she couldn’t finish her vegetables but still very much wanted her dessert.  She told me, “Poppy don’t you know that desserts go into a different stomach?”

Well, as it turns out, she wasn’t far from wrong.  No, we don’t have two different stomachs, but researchers from Italy propose that our brains do react differently to foods that we love.

We have all eaten many meals where we are completely full, maybe even stuffed, and we can’t eat another bite of the main course, but still find room to eat some tempting treat or dessert.

These researchers explored how our bodies react when aroused by irresistible treats. They suggest that regardless of how full we are, our bodies are chemically predisposed to seek gratification from foods that we love.

Hedonic Hunger

They studied “hedonic hunger” (hunger that comes about due to the need for gratification as opposed to caloric deficit).

The study which was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism was small only involving 8 people, so therefore is preliminary but still very interesting and suggestive.

In the early history of man, a consistent source of food was not guaranteed and depending upon hunting conditions and weather, one could go for days without eating.  So the need to overload on food when it was available, to protect against those times when it wasn’t, made sense.  This is referred to as “homeostatic” hunger. (hunger that comes about when we need to protect and sustain our basic life functions.)

That is certainly not the case, in modern times, so why do we still overeat despite the fact that we are full and usually don’t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from?  Is it possible that many of us eat “just for fun” (hedonistic hunger) and is this hunger caused by biochemical signals that are hard to resist?

The eight people studied were between the ages of 21-33. They were all healthy, not over-weight and free of any eating or dieting disorders.

The participants were fed healthy breakfasts. After an hour, they were asked how hungry they felt and were then presented with what they had previously told the researchers were their favorite food.  They were not allowed to eat the food, just see and smell it.  Later on, they were allowed to eat it.

The participants were then asked how hungry they were now, after being exposed to their favorite treat.

 

A month later, they went through the same test. They were fed the same breakfast. After an hour passed, the researchers asked them how hungry they were and then exposed them to a bland food combination that they were only allowed to see and smell. Later on, they were allowed to eat it.

Although the participants felt equally full after eating each of the two breakfasts, their desire, urge to eat and appetites were significantly higher after being exposed to their favorite treat as opposed to the bland food offering.

In addition, after eating their favorite food as compared to eating the bland food choice, the blood tests of each of these people revealed, that ghrelin, a hormone made in the stomach that is a signal of hunger, jumped significantly and remained high for 2 hours, but decreased after eating the bland food option.

In other words, seeing, smelling and eventually eating the “tempting treat” actually caused significant increases in hunger that continued for 2 hours.

The take-away from this study is:  The mere presence of your favorite treats in your home can lead you to thinking about them and artificially increase your appetite and sense of hunger, even though you have previously eaten and consumed enough calories for your health and homeostatic hunger needs.

The solution is clear.

  • DON’T STOCK YOUR SHELVES WITH YOUR FAVORITE TREATS!  IF THEY ARE EASILY AVAILABLE YOU WILL THINK ABOUT THEM, EAT THEM, RAISE YOUR HUNGER LEVELS AND EAT MORE OF EVERYTHING ELSE…..CHANGE YOUR FOOD SHOPPING HABITS!
  • DON’T USE THE EXCUSE I BUY THEM FOR THE KIDS OR YOUR HUSBAND, BECAUSE YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT DOING THEM ANY FAVORS BY DOING SO!
  • INDULGE IN YOUR FAVORITE TREATS OCCASSIONALLY AT A RESTAURANT NOT AT HOME!

If you want to lose weight, avoid developing type II diabetes, heart disease and possibly even cancer, follow this simple advice.

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

EXERCISE IS PERHAPS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEDICINE

The benefits of exercise have been associated with longer life, reduction in risk of heart disease, diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer’s, asthma, and now, decreasing the mortality rate of cancer survivors.

A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that physical exercise is associated with reduced all-cause mortality in breast cancer and colon cancer survivors.

For decades, physicians have been telling sick or injured people, that bed rest and not exerting oneself when ill or injured, will help with the healing process.  While this may be true for some conditions, by in large, it is becoming quite clear, that movement, activity and exercise very often help and speed up the healing process and lead to less permanent disability or in many cases, complete recovery.

As long ago as 1966 a fascinating study carried out at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School looked at the benefits of healthy, hard-working, 20 year old men, resting three weeks in bed during a summer vacation.

yoga

Make exercise a part of your life

 

3 weeks of rest and relaxation, what could be wrong with that? Well, it turns out a lot!  By the end of the three weeks in bed, the researchers found surprising changes that included: faster heart rates, increases in blood pressure, decreases in the hearts pumping ability, decreases in muscle power and a rise in body fat. These were characteristics found in men twice their age.  (This effect was due to too much rest, 7-8 hours of sleep a night is essential to over all good health).

Subsequently, the same men were put on an 8 week exercise regimen, which not only reversed the negative effects of bed rest but actually improved their health beyond their starting measurements.

Astronauts have learned the same lesson when traveling in space: Exercise or get weak and/or sick!

These men agreed to be reexamined 30 years later. Though all remained relatively healthy, the effects of aging were quite noticeable.  They had gained an average of 50 pounds from their weight at age 20. Their body fat doubled, blood pressure increased, but despite these common effects of aging, they were still not as compromised as they were when they got out of bed after 3 weeks of bed rest.

Reversing Age Related Decline

Once again, the men, now 50 years old, were put on a moderate exercise regimen for 6 months. Though they lost only 10 lbs. on average, interestingly their heart function and blood pressure returned to close to where they were when they were 20 years old before the initial exercise program they participated in after getting out of bed.  Exercise reversed much of their age related decline.

exercising

 

Jean Baptiste LaMarck a scientist in the early 1800’s developed the theory of “Use and Disuse.”  The theory basically said “use it or lose it!”  Using your body in different and moderately challenging ways will help it resist the effects of time and aging.  For example using your lungs and heart to do aerobic exercise will keep them fit and strong.  Not using them often enough will weaken them.  Using your brain and cognitive skills to continue learning will keep most people sharp even into old age.

The handwriting is on the wall!  You have no one to blame but yourself, if you allow the effects of aging and time to rob you of your vim, vigor, vitality, physical skills and health.  If you are not exercising, there is no time like “today” to start.

 

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

TINNITUS – IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WILL HELP?

Most of us think of tinnitus as that annoying ringing that happens in one or both ears, even though we know there is no outside noise causing it.  Tinnitus includes not just ringing, but other noise like roaring or hissing or buzzing.  The cause of tinnitus is not known, some people can live with it and find it tolerable and others may find it intolerable and even debilitating.

It is somewhat surprising to learn that as many as 50 million people in the U.S. alone experience tinnitus and over 10 million of those people are chronic sufferers and are at the point where it presents a major negative impact on their lives.

If there is something physically wrong with your inner ear(s) (infection, damage, earwax) or if you are taking medicines that may cause tinnitus, then it is possible that correction of these issues may resolve your tinnitus.  Tinnitus can also resolve on its own without any treatment in some people.

If tinnitus comes about as a result of age-related hearing loss, then there is no specific treatment that is known to cure this condition.  Though it is important to avoid things like excessive alcohol, smoking, too much aspirin use, stress and high noise levels which are thought to possibly worsen tinnitus.

The main purpose of this article is to familiarize you with those options that have been shown to be of help to some but NOT all sufferers of tinnitus.  You may want to slowly try just 1 or two of these various options at a time to see if you benefit.  Do not try more than two at a time or you might never know which is actually helping and find yourself doing or taking things that are unnecessary or useless.

If you find that any combination of two of the approaches we are about to discuss seems to work for you, first stay on the combination for 2-3 weeks to make sure the benefit continues.  If it does, then try stopping one of the two and see if your improvement continues. If it does, then keep taking only the one ingredient.  If it doesn’t, then wait a few days to see if the “ringing” continues and start taking the other ingredient by itself and allow a couple of weeks to see if you improve again.  If you do, then obviously keep taking it.  If you don’t, then try taking the 2 together again to see if the combination has some therapeutic effect that the individual ingredients or approaches don’t have separately.

Though this can be time consuming and require your focus, it really is the only way to determine what may help long term for your particular case.

I try to get to the “meat” of the problem in writing articles so I’m going to list the various ingredients/techniques that some research has found works for some people, without going into the science and possible mechanisms of action that will take many pages to do.

If you want more of the literature back up, you can either email me or do a Google search for each ingredient/technique and you should find plenty of back up information.

Ingredients/Techniques That May Help You With Your Tinnitus Problem:

1-     240 mg/day of ginkgo biloba extract has been found in some studies, but not others, to be of benefit. When it did work, it took 4-6 weeks of daily use.

gingko biloba

2-     Exercise is believed by some clinicians to help increase blood flow to the head and help with tinnitus.  This has not been clinically studied as to its effectiveness.

3-     Reduction of dietary salt may reduce fluid buildup in the ear.  (Also not studied in large trials)

4-     3 mg/day of melatonin given at night for 30 nights tended to help people with bilateral tinnitus more so than sufferers with unilaterally tinnitus.

5-     Various B vitamin deficiencies have been demonstrated in some tinnitus sufferers. Some ear specialists have reported results with patients taking a B complex containing 100 mg each of the major B vitamins.  Try this for 3-4 months, if there is no improvement then stop.

6-     Zinc levels are low in tinnitus sufferers and it was found that 50 mg/day of zinc gluconate for 2-3 weeks helped some tinnitus sufferers.

7-     One study found that tinnitus brought on by loud noises was significantly benefited by 50 mg/day of vinpocetine (a dietary supplement available in health food stores) for at least 30 days.

8-     Co-Q10 a dietary supplement, at 150 mg/day was found to help some tinnitus sufferers after 30 days of use.

9-     Pycnogenol, a plant extract has also been shown in small studies to help tinnitus sufferers. Try 150 mg twice a day.

Tinnitus can be incredibly frustrating to some sufferers. Because there is NO known single cure for this condition, experimentation with what works or doesn’t work for you is necessary.  You may have been suffering for months or even years with this condition, so take the time to methodically combine no more than two of these options at a time and see if you can discover what works for you.

My some-what educated guess (and it’s only a gut feeling) is that I would try combinations of the vinpocetine and Co Q10.  If there’s absolutely no benefit in this combination then try the B vitamin complex along with the Zinc.  Then I would try combining the pycnogenol with some of these. Again remember if you do see benefits, try to figure out which ingredient is responsible for them.

 

Good Luck!  I hope you find an answer and please, if you do, let me know!

 

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

 

Sleep All Night contains key nutrients like magnesium and vitamin B6, which are known for their roles in promoting relaxation and supporting healthy sleep patterns. Incorporate Sleep All Night into your routine as part of a holistic approach to sleep support.

TO LEAK OR NOT TO LEAK….CAFFEINE IS THE QUESTION

Women are twice as likely as men to suffer with urinary incontinence. It is estimated that as many as 45% of women have suffered urinary leakage at least once in the past year and up to 50% of women over 50 have repeated experiences with urinary leakage.

Urinary leakage can start at any age and especially after giving birth or entering menopause laughing, exercise, stress, and coughing can all put pressure on the bladder and cause small leakages.

For younger women and teens, high impact sports, even running, can damage bladder muscles and weaken the support structures of the bladder.

Certain foods have been associated with causing urinary leakage in some women:

  • Alcohol is dehydrating and causes excessive urine output
  • Spicy foods can irritate the bladder , i.e. wasabi, salsa mustard, vinegar, and raw onions
  • Citrus fruits that are acidic, like oranges, pineapples, tomatoes, lemon, and limes can also be irritating
  • Too much or too little fluid intake can cause leakage (6-8 cups a day recommended)

What about caffeine, which has been at the top of most list of ingredients to avoid for people with urinary incontinence or over-active-bladders (OAB).

It seems that caffeine may NOT be the culprit most healthcare professionals thought it was, relating to urinary leakage.

 

caffeine

 

A recent study done at Harvard Medical School and published in the journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, found that in 21,500 women with moderate incontinence (1-3 times per month)  who were tracked for 24 months, intake of caffeine did not worsen the condition in 80% of them.  Whether or not caffeine would make urinary symptoms worse if studied for longer than 24 months, was not addressed in this study.

Possible non-drug solutions for correcting urinary incontinence and over-active-bladder:

  • Kegel exercises to enhance bladder muscle control
  • Using a tampon during times when leakage tends to occur
  • Resisting the urge by breathing deeply and slowly when it occurs
  • Being aware that certain medications like diuretics, muscle relaxants, and sleeping pills can lead to urinary leakage

Some of you may be curious as to whether or not there are any natural products or dietary supplements that may help with urinary incontinence and/or over active bladder?  Though there are many products that make claims in these areas, I have seen no well-structured, randomized, placebo-controlled trials supporting such claims.

 

Curt Hendrix, M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

MAKE SURE BERRIES ARE A REGULAR PART OF YOUR DIET

Berries are rapidly being established as “super-star” protectors of your over-all health.

A slew of studies over the last 10 years have documented the multiple health benefits of regular consumption of berries. While the evidence is pointing to the fact that most berries are healthy, the preponderance of studies has been done on blueberries.

blueberry

Are you incorporating blueberries into your diet?

It is well known that berries in general contain high levels of powerful antioxidants that help to prevent both cellular and DNA damage, which are often root causes of disease. Research has shown that freezing berries does NOT reduce their high levels of antioxidants.

 

berry

Berries are a great source of antioxidants

 

The health benefits that berry consumption can provide are:

  • Anti-Cancer benefits
  • Protect against memory and cognitive decline associated with aging
  • Brain protection benefits
  • Eye health protection benefits
  • Skin health protection benefits
  • Heart and blood vessel protection benefits
  • Blood sugar regulation benefits
  • For example, one of the studies on blueberries demonstrated that after 3 months of consumption, older adults (average age of 76) had higher scores on two different tests measuring cognitive function.

Consumption of 1 to 1 ½ cups 3-4 times a week, are sufficient to achieve the benefits listed above. Start your children on this healthy habit as early as possible.

 

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

 

References

  • Adams LS, Phung S, Yee N et al. Blueberry Phytochemicals Inhibit Growth and Metastatic Potential of MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells Through Modulation of the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Pathway. Cancer Res. 2010 May 1; 70(9): 3594-3605. Published online 2010 April 13. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-3565. 2010.
  • Ahmet I, Spangler E, Shukitt-Hale B et al. Blueberry-Enriched Diet Protects Rat Heart from Ischemic Damage. PLoS ONE. 2009; 4(6): e5954. Published online 2009 June 18. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005954. 2009.
  • Basu A, Du M, Leyva MJ et al. Blueberries Decrease Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Obese Men and Women with Metabolic Syndrome. . The Journal of Nutrition. Bethesda: Sep 2010. Vol. 140, Iss. 9; p. 1582-1587. 2010.
  • Basu A, Rhone M and Lyons TJ. . Berries: emerging impact on cardiovascular health. Nutr Rev. 2010 Mar;68(3):168-77. Review. 2010.
  • DeFuria J, Bennett G, Strissel KJ et al. Dietary . Dietary Blueberry Attenuates Whole-Body Insulin Resistance in High Fat-Fed Mice by Reducing Adipocyte Death and Its Inflammatory Sequelae. J Nutr. 2009 August; 139(8): 1510-1516. doi: 10.3945/jn.109.105155. 2009.
  • Grace MH, Ribnicky DM, Kuhn P et al. Hypoglycemic activity of a novel Anthocyanin-rich formulation from Lowbush Blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium. Phytomedicine. 2009 May; 16(5): 406-415. 2009.
  • Hurst RD, Wells RW, Hurst SM et al. Blueberry fruit polyphenolics suppress oxidative stress-induced skeletal muscle cell damage in vitro. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010 Mar;54(3):353-63. 2010.
  • Jenkins DJA, Ssrichaikul K, Kendall CWC et al. The relation of low glycaemic index fruit consumption to glycaemic control and risk factors for coronary heart disease in type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2011 February; 54(2): 271-279. 2011.
  • Krikorian R, Shidler MD, Nash TA et al. Blueberry Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults. J Agric Food Chem. 2010 April 14; 58(7): 3996-4000. 2010.
  • Lohachoompol V, Srzednicki G, and Craske J. The Change of Total Anthocyanins in Blueberries and Their Antioxidant Effect After Drying and Freezing. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2004 December 1; 2004(5): 248-252. 2004.
  • Mannal P, McDonald D and McFadden D. Pterostilbene and tamoxifen show an additive effect against breast cancer in vitro. Am J Surg. 2010 Nov;200(5):577-80. 2010.
  • Mizuno CS and Rimando AM. Blueberries and Metabolic Syndrome. Silpakorn University Science and Technology Journal Year: 2009 Vol: 3 Issue: 2 Pages/record No.: 7-17. 2009.
  • Paul S, DeCastro AJ, Lee HJ et al. Dietary intake of pterostilbene, a constituent of blueberries, inhibits the beta-catenin/p65 downstream signaling pathway and colon carcinogenesis in rats. Carcinogenesis. 2010 Jul;31(7):1272-8. Epub 2010 Jan 8. 2010.
  • Paul S, Rimando AM, Lee HJ et al. Anti-inflammatory action of pterostilbene is mediated through the p38 MAPK pathway in colon cancer cells. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2009 July; 2(7): 650-657. Published online 2009 June 23. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-08-0224. 2009.
  • Sablani SS, Andrews PK, Davies NM et al. Effect of thermal treatments on phytochemicals in conventionally and organically grown berries. J Sci Food Agric. 2010 Apr 15;90(5):769-78. 2010.
  • Scibisz I and Mitek M. The changes of antioxidant properties in highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) during freezing and long-term frozen storage. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum : Technologia Alimentaria Year: 2007 Vol: 6 Issue: 4 Pages/record No.: 75-81. 2007.
  • Simmen FA, Frank JA, Wu X et al. Lack of efficacy of blueberry in nutritional prevention of azoxymethane-initiated cancers of rat small intestine and colon. BMC Gastroenterol. 2009; 9: 67. Published online 2009 September 16. doi: 10.1186/1471-230X-9-67. 2009.
  • Still AJ, Cash KC, Johnson WD et al. Bioactives in Blueberries Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Obese, Insulin-Resistant Men and Women. The Journal of Nutrition. Bethesda: Oct 2010. Vol. 140, Iss. 10; p. 1764-1768. 2010.
  • Stoner GD, Want LS, Seguin C et al. Multiple Berry Types Prevent N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine-Induced Esophageal Cancer in Rats. Pharm Res. 2010 June; 27(6): 1138-1145. 2010.
  • Vuong T, Matar C, Ramassamy C et al. Biotransformed blueberry juice protects neurons from hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway alterations. Br J Nutr. 2010 Sep;104(5):656-63. Epub 2010 May 12. 2010.
  • Wang SY, Chen CT, Sciarappa W et al. Fruit quality, antioxidant capacity, and flavonoid content of organically and conventionally grown blueberries. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Jul 23;56(14):5788-94. Epub 2008 Jul 1. 2008.
  • Wu X, Kang J, Xie C et al. Dietary Blueberries Attenuate Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice by Upregulating Antioxidant Enzyme Expression. J. Nutr. September 1, 2010 vol. 140 no. 9 1628-1632. 2010.

 

Anti-Depressants Not As Effective For Treating Autism

For difficult to treat conditions like Autism, physicians will often start to prescribe new classes of drugs that typically are used for other conditions, if studies are published that show benefits for the newer condition.

Physicians are allowed to prescribe a medicine to treat a condition for which it has not been approved by the FDA.  This is called “off-label” use of drugs.

A class of anti-depressants known as SRI’s (serotonin uptake inhibitors) has been used by many physicians to treat autism.

Recent research shows that the studies which physicians based the use of these drugs upon did not represent the totality of information available, and if all studies were taken into consideration, there was no convincing data that these drugs worked at all.

To make matters worse, the Director of the Autism Research Program at Kaiser Permanente has stated that the “use of SRI’s by pregnant women may increase the risk for Autism spectrum disorder in their offspring.”  There was a 300% increased risk for Autism in the children of mothers who used SRI’s during their first trimester.

The take-away from this information is:

  1. If you have an autistic child and the child is using SRI’s, discuss with the child’s physicians whether or not they should be discontinued.
  2. If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, discuss with your physician the risks and rewards of taking SRI’s during this time of your life.

 

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

CAN COCONUT OIL REVITALIZE THE HEALTH AND LUSTRE OF YOUR HAIR?

A recent article on coconutoil.com referred to a study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science, comparing the potential use of oils for restoring the health and look of your hair.

The oils compared were: mineral oil, sunflower oil and coconut oil and it was found that only coconut oil reduced the protein loss which can result in unhealthy looking and weak hair that is subject to breaking. This benefit carried through for both damaged and undamaged hair, making coconut oil a potential option for everyone.

The best results for using coconut oil were achieved when it was used just prior to washing your hair.

 

coconut oil for lustre

 

Some researchers feel that applying the coconut oil to your face as well helps to produce more youthful looking skin, but I have not seen any studies supporting this claim.

 

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

Larger Percentage of Women May Be Obese Than Numbers Indicate

DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE ALL KNOW OBESITY IS ON THE RISE, A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN MAY BE OBESE THAN THE NUMBERS INDICATE

A recent study published in the journal PLOS One, stated that reliance on BMI (Body Mass Index) to determine if someone is obese, is unreliable and significantly understates the true number of people who are obese. This understatement particularly applies to women because they tend to lose both bone and muscle as they age causing their body fat percentage to be much higher.

The BMI is a ratio of your weight to height (your weight in pounds divided by your height in inches squared multiplied by 703). People with BMI’s above 30 are considered obese.  When women with a BMI below 30 were measured for their percentage of body fat it was found that 50% of the women not considered obese by using BMI as the sole determinant, were in fact, obese when body fat was measured as a percentage of total weight.  The percentage was about 30% for men.

 

women and obesity

 

The researches stated some rather eye opening statistics:  Using BMI alone, 30% of Americans are obese, when using other methods like measuring body fat, a shocking 60% of Americans are obese.

Short spurts of high intensity training may both increase insulin sensitivity and therefore help with blood sugar control and may also increase leptin sensitivity (leptin is a hormone released by fat cells that signals when you have enough energy reserves and can stop eating.  Many over-weight people are leptin resistant and don’t get that signal to stop eating).

Walking, jogging bicycling, using a flex belt, treadmills, and recumbent bikes can be used to introduce short spurt high intensity exercise in to your daily activities.  Basically you initially go at a pace that is moderate (not too easy, not too hard) for a minute and a half.

Then for the next 20-30 seconds you increase the intensity to your personal maximum. At this point you will be gasping for air and can’t really speak very easily.  Then drop back to the more moderate pace for 90 seconds and do the high intensity spurt again for 20-30 seconds.

Initially, unless you are in really good shape, you probably won’t be able to do much more than 2-3 cycles of high intensity spurts, but try to work your way up, over time, to being able to doing 6-8.

Please confirm with your physician that there is nothing in your health history that would contraindicate doing this type of high intensity spurt exercise.

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.