Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Power Bodybuilding Workouts



Power bodybuilding is a combination of training for muscle mass and shape along with strength & power which give you the complete package.
Back in the good old days of bodybuilding, muscle mass, aesthetics, shape, symmetry and general balance were the hallmarks of a great physique. Not only that but many bodybuilders also took part in either Olympic weight lifting or powerlifting, so they were as strong as they looked.
To gain strength throughout your physique it is imperative that all muscle groups are trained to the fullest extent with a wide selection of exercises. We are only as strong as our weakest link, it is the so-called smaller exercises that can help to strengthen us for the multi-joint compound movements that ultimately create real power and size gains.
If you include exercises that are low on effectiveness and/or those that are potentially dangerous it will not only waste time but also could compromise recovery abilities and interrupt progress. Below is a list of the most effective exercises and their corresponding muscle groupings.
For best results in size, strength, and balanced development it is strongly recommended that you choose two mass builders and two isolation movements per body part for each training session (the exceptions being arms due to the smaller size of these muscles - and, as a result, the greater their need for recovery - two mass builders and one isolation movement are usually best).
For best results, choose two mass building exercises and two isolation movements.
Legs Mass Building Compound Movements
Squats
Leg Presses
Front Squats
Hack Squats
Stiff Legged Deadlifts
Standing Calf Raises

Isolation Movements for Legs
Dumbbell Lunges
Leg Extensions
Leg Curls
Seated Calf Raises

Chest Mass Building Compound Movements Barbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Press
Dips Leaning Forward

Isolation Movements for Chest
Pec Deck
Cable Crossovers
Flat Bench Flyes
Incline Flyes

Cable Crossovers
Back Mass Building Compound Movements
Deadlifts
Bent Over Barbell Rows
Chin-Ups
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows

Isolation Movements for Back
Pullovers
Close Grip Pulldowns
Straight-Arm Pulldowns

Shoulders Mass Building Compound Movements
Front Barbell (Military) Press
Dumbbell Press
Upright row

Isolation Movements for shoulders
Lateral Raises
Bent Lateral Raises
Front Raises

Triceps Mass Building Compound Movements
Lying Triceps Extensions
Straight Bar Pushdowns
Bench Dips

Isolation Movements for triceps
Dumbbell Kickbacks
One-Arm/Behind Head Dumbbell Extensions

' Biceps And Forearms Mass Building Compound Movements
Standing Barbell Curl
Incline Dumbbell Curl
Reverse Barbell Curl

Isolation Movements for biceps
Hammer Curls
One-Arm Preacher Curls
Concentration Curls

However, given the importance of exercise selection and training the individual muscles from all angles, many still encounter problems in choosing the right exercises to use. The key here is to pick several exercises for each body part that target the muscles as a whole and from different angles, but not to waste time and energy on those that are least effective toward both of these aims.
Train the compound movements heavy for low reps to build strength and do the isolation movements lighter with high reps to get a massive muscle building pump.

Eight Reasons you are not Losing Weight



You’re Not Active – You might have a desk job, or even work in retail not moving around much. I’m not saying take up an excessive exercise routine but to keep your muscles and organs functioning and burning energy at full capacity try something easy to get active. Even a 20 minute slow walk after dinner, house work or playing with the kids will make a massive difference. When you’re not using your body it’s burning less energy and storing more fat, so get moving.

You don’t Plan Your Meals – Most of your meals are last minute decisions, you’re snacks are packed full of calories, sugar, fat, don’t satisfy your hunger or you don’t get a chance to cook. Planning out your week will make it a lot easier to stay on track with healthy foods and minimize hasty last minute calorie filled decisions.

You’re Not Getting Enough Fiber and Protein – Both these beauties will keep you feeling full so much longer than carb filled meals. Not only will you not be getting those annoying hunger pangs but the fibre works wonders for cleansing out your digestive system.

Not Enough Sleep – Lack of sleep slows your metabolism making it harder for your body to digest food and utilise calories.

Hidden Sugars – If you’re not aware of what’s in what you’re eating chances are you’re eating hidden sugars. White bread, cereal, sports drinks, sauces, spreads and much more all contain high amounts of sugar. Especially food that says “No Fat” or “Low Fat” is generally packed full of sugar.

You Don’t Know What’s Good For You – Apart from vegetables do you really know what your body wants and needs? Learning what to put into your body to maximise the benefits will make it so much easier to make better decisions.

You’re Dehydrated – Dehydration and hunger signals from your body are pretty similar and chances are you never go for a glass of water when you feel this. Even if you are hungry, have some water when you feel this and wait a couple of minutes to see how your body responds. If you are hungry the extra water would have filled you up a bit so you won’t feel like eating as much.

You are burning less calories than you are eating.

Monday, February 25, 2013

10 Lies and Misconceptions Spread By Mainstream Nutrition

By Dr. Mercola
There's no shortage of health myths out there, but I believe the truth is slowly but surely starting to seep out there and get a larger audience. For example, two recent articles actually hit the nail right on the head in terms of good nutrition advice.
Shape Magazine features a slide show on "9 ingredients nutritionists won’t touch,"1 and authoritynutrition.com listed “11 of the biggest lies of mainstream nutrition."2
These health topics are all essential to get "right" if you want to protect your health, and the health of your loved ones, which is why I was delighted to see both of these sources disseminating spot-on advice. I highly recommend reading through both of them.
Here, I will review my own top 10 lies and misconceptions of mainstream nutrition—some of which are included in the two featured sources, plus a few additional ones I believe are important.

Lie # 1: 'Saturated Fat Causes Heart Disease'

As recently as 2002, the "expert" Food & Nutrition Board issued the following misguided statement, which epitomizes this myth:
"Saturated fats and dietary cholesterol have no known beneficial role in preventing chronic disease and are not required at any level in the diet."
Similarly, the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine recommends adults to get 45–65 percent of their calories from carbohydrates, 20-35 percent from fat, and 10-35 percent from protein. This is an inverse ideal fat to carb ratio that is virtually guaranteed to lead you astray, and result in a heightened risk of chronic disease.
Most people benefit from 50-70 percent healthful fats in their diet for optimal health, whereas you need very few, if any, carbohydrates to maintain good health... Although that may seem like a lot, fat is much denser and consumes a much smaller portion of your meal plate.
This dangerous recommendation, which arose from an unproven hypothesis from the mid-1950s, has been harming your health and that of your loved ones for about 40 years now.
The truth is, saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances, without which your body cannot function optimally. They also act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fats are also needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes.
In fact, saturated is the preferred fuel for your heart! For more information about saturated fats and the essential role they play in maintaining your health, please read my previous article The Truth About Saturated Fat.

Lie # 2: 'Eating Fat Makes You Gain Weight'

The low-fat myth may have done more harm to the health of millions than any other dietary recommendation as the resulting low-fat craze led to increased consumption of trans-fats, which we now know increases your risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease—the very health problems wrongfully attributed to saturated fats...
To end the confusion, it's very important to realize that eating fat will not make you fat!
The primary cause of excess weight and all the chronic diseases associated with it, is actually the consumption of too much sugar -- especially fructose, but also all sorts of grains, which rapidly convert to sugar in your body. If only the low-fat craze had been a low-sugar craze... then we wouldn't have nearly as much chronic disease as we have today. For an explanation of why and how a low-fat diet can create the very health problems it's claimed to prevent, please see this previous article.

Lie # 3: 'Artificial Sweeteners are Safe Sugar-Replacements for Diabetics, and Help Promote Weight Loss'

Most people use artificial sweeteners to lose weight and/or because they’re diabetic and need to avoid sugar. The amazing irony is that nearly all the studies that have carefully analyzed their effectiveness show that those who use artificial sweeteners actually gain more weight than those who consume caloric sweeteners. Studies have also revealed that artificial sweeteners can be worse than sugar for diabetics.
In 2005, data gathered from the 25-year long San Antonio Heart Study showed that drinking dietsoft drinks increased the likelihood of serious weight gain, far more so than regular soda.3 On average, each diet soft drink the participants consumed per day increased their risk of becoming overweight by 65 percent within the next seven to eight years, and made them 41 percent more likely to become obese. There are several potential causes for this, including:
  • Sweet taste alone appears to increase hunger, regardless of caloric content.
  • Artificial sweeteners appear to simply perpetuate a craving for sweets, and overall sugar consumption is therefore not reduced—leading to further problems controlling your weight.4
  • Artificial sweeteners may disrupt your body's natural ability to "count calories," as evidenced in studies such as this 2004 study at Purdue University,5 which found that rats fed artificially sweetened liquids ate more high-calorie food than rats fed high-caloric sweetened liquids.
There is also a large number of health dangers associated with artificial sweeteners and aspartame in particular. I've compiled an ever-growing list of studies pertaining to health problems associated with aspartame, which you can find here. If you're still on the fence, I highly recommend reviewing these studies for yourself so that you can make an educated decision. For more information on aspartame, the worst artificial sweetener, please see my aspartame video.

Lie # 4: 'Your Body Cannot Tell the Difference Between Sugar and Fructose'

Of the many health-harming ingredients listed in the featured article by Shape Magazine—all of which you're bound to get in excess if you consume processed foods—fructose is perhaps the greatest threat to your health. Mounting evidence testifies to the fact that excess fructose, primarily in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), is a primary factor causing not just obesity, but also chronic and lethal disease. In fact, I am convinced that fructose is one of the leading causes of a great deal of needless suffering from poor health and premature death.
Many conventional health "experts," contend that sugar and fructose in moderation is perfectly okay and part of a normal "healthy" diet, and the corn industry vehemently denies any evidence showing that fructose is metabolically more harmful than regular sugar (sucrose). This widespread denial and sweeping the evidence under the carpet poses a massive threat to your health, unless you do your own research.
As a standard recommendation, I advise keeping your total fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. For most people it would also be wise to limit your fructose from fruit to 15 grams or less. Unfortunately, while this is theoretically possible, precious few people are actually doing that.
Cutting out a few desserts will not make a big difference if you're still eating a "standard American diet"—in fact, I've previously written about how various foods and beverages contain far more sugar than a glazed doughnut. Because of the prevalence of HFCS in foods and beverages, the average person now consumes 1/3 of a pound of sugar EVERY DAY, which is five ounces or 150 grams, half of which is fructose.
That's 300 percent more than the amount that will trigger biochemical havoc. Remember that is the AVERAGE; many actually consume more than twice that amount. For more details about the health dangers of fructose and my recommendations, please see my recent article Confirmed—Fructose Can Increase Your Hunger and Lead to Overeating.

Lie # 5: 'Soy is a Health Food'

The meteoric rise of soy as a "health food" is a perfect example of how a brilliant marketing strategy can fool millions. But make no mistake about it, unfermented soy products are NOT healthful additions to your diet, and can be equally troublesome for men and women of all ages. If you find this recommendation startling then I would encourage you to review some of the many articles listed on my Soy Index Page.
Contrary to popular belief, thousands of studies have actually linked unfermented soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease.
Not only that, but more than 90 percent of American soy crops are genetically modified, which carries its own set of health risks.6 I am not opposed to all soy, however. Organic and, most importantly, properly fermented soy does have great health benefits. Examples of such healthful fermented soy products include tempeh, miso and natto. Here is a small sampling of the detrimental health effects linked to unfermented soy consumption:
Breast cancer Brain damage Infant abnormalities
Thyroid disorders Kidney stones Immune system impairment
Severe, potentially fatal food allergies Impaired fertility Danger during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Lie # 6: 'Eggs are a Source of Unhealthy Cholesterol'

Eggs are probably one of the most demonized foods in the United States, mainly because of the misguided idea implied by the lipid hypothesis that eating egg yolk increases the cholesterol levels in your body. You can forget about such concerns, because contrary to popular belief, eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can eat and they do not have a detrimental impact on cholesterol levels. Numerous nutritional studies have dispelled the myth that you should avoid eating eggs, so this recommendation is really hanging on by a very bare thread...
One such study7, conducted by the Yale Prevention Research Center and published in 2010, showed that egg consumption did not have a negative effect on endothelial function – a measure of cardiac risk – and did not cause a spike on cholesterol levels. The participants of the Yale study ate two eggs per day for a period of six weeks. There are many benefits associated with eggs, including:
One egg contains 6 grams of high quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids Eggs are good for your eyes because they contain lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants found in your lens and retina. These two compounds help protect your eyes from damage caused by free radicals and avoid eye diseases like macular degeneration and cataracts Eggs are a good source of choline (one egg contains about 300 micrograms), a member of the vitamin B family essential for the normal function of human cells and helps regulate the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Choline is especially beneficial for pregnant mothers as it is influences normal brain development of the unborn child
Eggs are one of the few foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D (24.5 grams) Eggs may help promote healthy hair and nails due to their high sulphur content Eggs also contain biotin, calcium, copper, folate, iodine, iron, manganese, magnesium, niacin, potassium, selenium, sodium, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, vitamin E and zinc

Choose free-range organic eggs, and avoid “omega-3 eggs” as this is not the proper way to optimize your omega-3 levels. To produce these omega-3 eggs, the hens are usually fed poor-quality sources of omega-3 fats that are already oxidized. Omega-3 eggs are more perishable than non-omega-3 eggs.

Lie # 7: 'Whole Grains are Good for Everyone'

The use of whole-grains is an easy subject to get confused on especially for those who have a passion for nutrition, as for the longest time we were told the fiber in whole grains is highly beneficial. Unfortunately ALL grains, including whole-grain and organic varieties, can elevate your insulin levels, which can increase your risk of disease. They also contain gluten, which many are sensitive to, if not outright allergic. It has been my experience that more than 85 percent of Americans have trouble controlling their insulin levels -- especially those who have the following conditions:
  • Overweight
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Protein metabolic types
In addition, sub-clinical gluten intolerance is far more common than you might think, which can also wreak havoc with your health. As a general rule, I strongly recommend eliminating or at least restricting grains as well as sugars/fructose from your diet, especially if you have any of the above conditions that are related to insulin resistance. The higher your insulin levels and the more prominent your signs of insulin overload are, the more ambitious your grain elimination needs to be.
If you are one of the fortunate ones without insulin resistance and of normal body weight, then grains are fine, especially whole grains—as long as you don’t have any issues with gluten and select organic and unrefined forms. It is wise to continue to monitor your grain consumption and your health as life is dynamic and constantly changing. What might be fine when you are 25 or 30 could become a major problem at 40 when your growth hormone and level of exercise is different.

Lie # 8: 'Milk Does Your Body Good'

Unfortunately, the myth that conventional pasteurized milk has health benefits is a persistent one, even though it’s far from true. Conventional health agencies also refuse to address the real dangers of the growth hormones and antibiotics found in conventional milk. I do not recommend drinking pasteurized milk of any kind, including organic, because once milk has been pasteurized its physical structure is changed in a way that can actually cause allergies and immune problems.
Important enzymes like lactase are destroyed during the pasteurization process, which causes many people to not be able to digest milk. Additionally, vitamins (such as A, C, B6 and B12) are diminished and fragile milk proteins are radically transformed from health nurturing to unnatural amino acid configurations that can actually worsen your health. The eradication of beneficial bacteria through the pasteurization process also ends up promoting pathogens rather than protecting you from them.
The healthy alternative to pasteurized milk is raw milk, which is an outstanding source of nutrients including beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus, vitamins and enzymes, and it is, in my estimation, one of the finest sources of calcium available. For more details please watch the interview I did with Mark McAfee, who is the owner of Organic Pastures, the largest organic dairy in the US.
However, again, if you have insulin issues and are struggling with weight issues, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer or high cholesterol it would be best to restrict your dairy to organic butter as the carbohydrate content, lactose, could be contribute to insulin and leptin resistance. Fermented organic raw dairy would eliminate the lactose issue and would be better tolerated. But if you are sensitive to dairy it might be best to avoid these too.

Lie # 9: 'Genetically Engineered Foods are Safe and Comparable to Conventional Foods'

Make no mistake about it; genetically engineered (GE) foods may be one of the absolute most dangerous aspects of our food supply today. I strongly recommend avoiding ALL GE foods. Since over 90 percent of all corn grown in the US is GE corn, and over 95 percent all soy is GE soy, this means that virtually every processed food you encounter at your local supermarket that does not bear the "USDA Organic" label likely contains one or more GE components. To avoid GE foods, first memorize the following list of well-known and oft-used GE crops:
Corn Canola Alfalfa (New GM crop as of 2011)
Soy Cottonseed Sugar derived from sugar beets

Fresh zucchini, crookneck squash and Hawaiian papaya are also commonly GE. It’s important to realize that unless you're buying all organic food, or grow your own veggies and raise your own livestock, or at the very least buy all whole foods (even if conventionally grown) and cook everything from scratch, chances are you're consuming GE foods every single day... What ultimate impact these foods will have on your health is still unknown, but increased disease, infertility and birth defects appear to be on the top of the list of most likely side effects. The first-ever lifetime feeding study also showed a dramatic increase in organ damage, cancer, and reduced lifespan.

Lie # 10: 'Lunch Meats Make for a Healthy Nutritious Meal'

Lastly, processed meats, which includes everything from hot dogs, deli meats, bacon, and pepperoni are rarely thought of as strict no-no’s, but they really should be, if you’re concerned about your health. Virtually all processed meat products contain dangerous compounds that put them squarely on the list of foods to avoid or eliminate entirely. These compounds include:
  • Heterocyclic amines (HCAs): a potent carcinogen, which is created when meat or fish is cooked at high temperatures.
  • Sodium nitrite: a commonly used preservative and antimicrobial agent that also adds color and flavor to processed and cured meats.
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): Many processed meats are smoked as part of the curing process, which causes PAHs to form.
  • Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs): When food is cooked at high temperatures—including when it is pasteurized or sterilized—it increases the formation of AGEs in your food. AGEs build up in your body over time leading to oxidative stress, inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.
This recommendation is backed up by a report commissioned by The World Cancer Research Fund8 (WCRF). The review, which evaluated the findings of more than 7,000 clinical studies, was funded by money raised from the general public, so the findings were not influenced by vested interests. It's also the biggest review of the evidence ever undertaken, and it confirms previous findings: Processed meats increase your risk of cancer, especially bowel cancer, and NO amount of processed meat is "safe." A previous analysis by the WCRF found that eating just one sausage a day raises your risk of developing bowel cancer by 20 percent, and other studies have found that processed meats increase your risk of:
  • Colon cancer by 50 percent
  • Bladder cancer by 59 percent
  • Stomach cancer by 38 percent
  • Pancreatic cancer by 67 percent
Processed meats may also increase your risk of diabetes by 50 percent, and lower your lung function and increase your risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If you absolutely want or need a hot dog or other processed meats once in awhile, you can reduce your risk by:
  • Looking for "uncured" varieties that contain NO nitrates
  • Choosing varieties that say 100% beef, 100% chicken, etc. This is the only way to know that the meat is from a single species and does not include byproducts (like chicken skin or chicken fat or other parts)
  • Avoiding any meat that contains MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, preservatives, artificial flavor or artificial color
Ideally, purchase sausages and other processed meats from a small, local farmer who can tell you exactly what's in their products. These are just some of the health myths and misconceptions out there. There are certainly many more. The ones listed above are some of the most important ones, in my view, simply because they’re so widely misunderstood. They’re also critical to get "right" if you want to protect your health, and the health of your loved ones. For more great advise, please review the two featured sources.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

one egg a day reduces degeneration of skeletal muscle


one egg a day reduces degeneration of skeletal muscle 300x234  one egg a day reduces degeneration of skeletal muscleForget folklore,today’s fountain of youth runs yellow and comes with toast. We don’t know if it came before the chicken, but eating one egg a day reduces degeneration of skeletal muscle and protects against some of the health risks that come with ageing, including heart disease and blindness, according to Journal of Nutrition & Food Science. Currently being branded the new superfood, eggs are abundant in compounds that reduce  macular degeneration and preventtheloss of important proteins in your body. This does not mean thatthewhites are an effective anti-ageing cream, though.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Are you an Emotional Eater?

4 Quick Tips And 4 Empowering Beliefs About Food That Help Stop Emotional Eating Dead In Its Tracks

Entire books have been written about emotional eating and it can quickly become a deep subject if you let it. I believe however that most people over think it and that the fundamental issue here is to simply realize that people often eat in order to obtain a feeling or in response to a feeling.
In some contexts, this is appropriate, as in a holiday social gathering. In other contexts, it may be inappropriate, as in a binge at home alone in response to a stressful day or event.
In other words, you may be eating for the wrong reasons or dealing with emotions inappropriately by using food. The real “kicker” is that you may not even be aware that you are doing it!
If particular eating behaviors are not serving you in a constructive way and you want to remove this negative emotional connection to food, here are 4 quick tips to stop the negative pattern and change it to something positive:
(1) first you must become aware of it when this negative old pattern is occurring, because such behaviors often happen automatically on the non conscious level. Beliefs about food are also often held on the non-conscious level. Once you have this conscious awareness, then you need to…
(2) interrupt or break the pattern immediately when you realize it’s happening — you could simply say “stop” to yourself and ask yourself “am I eating because I’m hungry and need to fuel my muscles and boost my energy level or am I eating for another reason?”
Then start asking yourself some questions that will generate the positive response you want. They can be simple and straight forward, or they can be blunt and outrageous. Ask yourself, “is it worth it?” or “is eating this going to move me closer to or further away from my goal?”
Personally, I find that playing with the concept that “you are literally what you eat” interrupts the pattern quite well for me. When I ask myself, “If this food is going to become part of my physical cells, do I really want this to become a part of my bicep… or my brain…or my eyeball???”, then the answer is almost always a resounding “NO!”
(3) If you’re eating for an emotional reason, find alternative and more constructive ways (which serve you) to obtain / satisfy that feeling you are after.
(4) establish the right reasons for eating and develop strong neural connections and associations between food and those reasons through repetition/reinforcement.
The 4 beliefs about food that will serve you the best in creating positive associations to healthy foods are:
1. food is for building muscle and other body tissues (good food is “construction material”… i.e. you are what you eat)
2. Food is for energy (good food is fuel)
3. Food is for burning fat (good food in small frequent meals stokes your metabolic furnace like logs thrown on a fire)
4. Food is for creating optimal health (good food contains every nutrient you need for optimal health)
I eat specific (healthy) foods and avoid specific (unhealthy) foods automatically, because I am so strongly connected to the reasons why I eat. The best part is that it’s completely automatic behavior – its not difficult, nor does it require will power anymore as it did when I first started, because those beliefs and behaviors are now ingrained at a neural/cellular level.
I believe that anyone can break the negative cycle of emotional eating and reach this point of automatic positive eating behaviors, by identifying negative patterns, stopping them dead in their tracks when you become aware of them, by eating for the right reasons, by finding constructive alternatives for responding to emotions and by changing the way you talk to yourself repeatedly over time.
These may seem like simple ideas, but they are very powerful ideas, and they don’t even require any physical effort on your part — all you have to do is change the way you think!
Train hard and expect success,



Source: Tom Venuto, Personal Fitness
GHF’s Fat Loss Expert

Friday, February 22, 2013

Insulin Doubles Death Rate in Type 2 Diabetics

A new study clearly documents that a standard treatment for type 2 diabetes is a killer, resulting in more than double the deaths. The treatment justification has always been based on irrelevant criteria—just as it is with most pharmaceutical treatments.

Enough with Insulin! by Jeff Fillmore
by Heidi Stevenson
It seems so intuitive: People with diabetes should inject insulin. In the case of people with type 1 diabetes, in which the pancreas doesn't produce insulin, that's probably true. However, modern doctors routinely give insulin to people with type 2 diabetes simply because it reduces blood sugar levels.
The reality, though, is that type 2 diabetics who take insulin injections die at more than double the rate of those given non-insulin treatment!

The Study

The study,  Mortality and Other Important Diabetes-Related Outcomes With Insulin vs Other Antihyperglycemic Therapies in Type 2 Diabetes, investigated 84,622 primary care patients with type 2 diabetes from 2000 to 2010 and compared the results of these treatments:
  • Metformin monotherapy
  • Sulfonylurea monotherapy
  • Insulin monotherapy
  • Metformin plus Sulfonylurea combination therapy
  • Insulin plus Metformin combination therapy
These groups were compared for risks of certain severe adverse events: cardiac, cancer, and mortality. A primary outcome was defined as any one of these events occurring, but each such event was counted only once and only if it was the first adverse result. Any one of these events happening at any time, plus microvascular complications, counted as a secondary outcome. The results were dramatic.
Those on Metformin therapy had the lowest death rates, so that group was used as the reference.
In terms of primary outcome - that is, consideration of first adverse events only:
  • Sulfonylurea therapy resulted in patients being 1.4 times more likely to suffer one of these outcomes.
  • A combination of Metformin and Insulin resulted in 1.3 times greater risk.
  • Insulin therapy alone resulted in 1.8 times greater risk.
  • Those considered to be at greater risk because of glycosylated hemoglobin had as much as 2.2 times greater risk with Insulin therapy alone.
When considering any of these events happening, whether they were the first event or a subsequent one, the results were even more dramatic:
  • Insulin monotherapy resulted in:
    • 2.0 times more myocardial infarctions.
    • 1.7 time more major adverse cardiac events
    • 1.4 time more strokes
    • 3.5 times more renal complications
    • 2.1 time more neuropathy
    • 1.2 times more eye complications
    • 1.4 times more cancer
    • 2.2 times more deaths

Medical Hubris

Modern medicine's hubris allows it to make claims that simply are not supported. Based on those unsupported claims, thousands—and in the case of diabetes, millions—of people are placed on drugs and regimens that have never been demonstrated to have any beneficial effect. The result is that the general public becomes a mass of guinea pigs for medical experimentation—experimentation that isn't even documented and analyzed!
The use of insulin in type 2 diabetics is only one example, but it's been clearly demonstrated again and again with disasters like Vioxx.

Redirection to Markers

The method by which these treatments are justified is a little redirection away from what really counts. What matters is whether lives are improved and lengthened. But drugs are rarely tested on that basis. The excuse generally given is that it would take too long. But if that were a valid explanation, then surely we'd see the regulating agencies keeping careful and formal oversight over the experiences of all new drugs for the first few years of use. That, though, simply doesn't happen.
Instead of looking at the outcomes that matter, substitutes are used. They're called markers, which are intermediate results that are assumed to be indicative of benefit. In the case of insulin, the marker is blood sugar level. Insulin is required to transport glucose (blood sugar) into cells so that they can produce energy. Thus, insulin reduces blood sugar levels. If artificial pharmaceutical insulin brings blood sugar to more "normal" levels, then the treatment is considered successful.

Invalid Markers

As this study has demonstrated, markers are simply not a valid way to determine effectiveness of a treatment. In type 2 diabetes, the problem isn't a lack of ability to produce insulin; neither is it high blood glucose. The problem is the cells' ability to utilize insulin to transport glucose from blood into cells.
The problem is that cells' ability to use insulin has deteriorated. So, how can it be beneficial to give more insulin when cells are unable to utilize what's already there? Clearly, that's counterproductive.
Yet, that's precisely what doctors do! They give insulin to replace insulin, when a lack of insulin isn't the problem! It should come as no surprise that the real concerns of anyone being treated for diabetes are not answered by insulin treatment.
As this study has demonstrated, forcing insulin into the body actually results in worse outcomes. How many decades has this treatment been in vogue? All that time it's been justified because it reduces blood sugar. But the effects that count—quality of life and longevity—haven't been considered.
There's one lesson to be learned here: Health isn't found in pharmaceutical drugs, not even old tried-and-true drugs.

Resources

Benefits of Yoga


Benefits of Yoga—What the Research Says About its Use for Common Health Problems



By Dr. Mercola
Your body and your health can — indeed must — change as you start implementing the correct lifestyle changes. Yoga has received some well-deserved media attention recently.
Two recent studies show that regular yoga classes can help improve atrial fibrillation1 (irregular heartbeat) and common psychiatric disorders.2
While I believe you need to incorporate anaerobic exercise (high intensity interval training) for optimal health, there’s no doubt that yoga can be an important part of a comprehensive exercise program.
Yoga is particularly useful for promoting flexibility and core muscles, and has been proven beneficial if you suffer with back pain. As you’ll see later in this article, yoga can also help you turn your health around if you’re too overweight to engage in more strenuous types of exercise.
Ideally, you’ll want a comprehensive fitness program that includes aerobic, anaerobic, and resistance training as well, in addition to flexibility and core-building exercises like yoga, or Foundation Training (created by Dr. Eric Goodman) which incorporates many Yoga principals but has modified it to focus on muscle groups that most Americans are at risk of injuring because of the enormous amount of time they spend sitting.

Have Irregular Heart Rhythm? Yoga May Help...

The first featured study3 included 49 patients who had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) for an average of five years. AF — a condition in which the upper chambers of your heart quiver chaotically — affects an estimated 2.7 million Americans.
They’re typically prescribed drugs like beta blockers in an effort to alleviate the symptoms, but these drugs don’t work for all patients, and come with a slew of side effects.
Beta blockers work by “blocking” the normally stimulating effects of the adrenaline hormone on your heart. They also slow your heart rate and reduce your heart’s need for oxygen when you exert yourself, which means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard.
These drugs have been used for more than 30 years to treat high blood pressure, and they are recommended as the first line of defense in both the United States and international health guidelines.
Aside from often being ineffective, they’re known to cause an array of serious side effects including heart attack and stroke, type 2 diabetes, and sexual dysfunction, just to name a few.
Considering the hazards of the drug paradigm, it certainly makes sense to look into safer alternatives or add-ons, and yoga might offer quite a bit of relief.
For the first three months of the study, the participants’ heart symptoms, blood pressure, heart rate, anxiety and depression levels, and general quality of life were assessed and tracked. During the second phase, the participants took yoga classes at least twice a week for three months, while still tracking their symptoms.
At the end of the study, the number of times participants reported heart quivering (confirmed by heart monitor), dropped by half. Their average heart rate also fell from an average of 67 beats per minute during the first three months, to 61-62 beats per minute post-yoga. The participants also reported feeling less anxiety and depression. Anxiety scores fell from an average of 34 (on a scale of 20-80) to an average of 25.
According to the authors:4
“There was significant decrease in heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure before and after yoga... In patients with paroxysmal AF, yoga improves symptoms, arrhythmia burden, heart rate, blood pressure, anxiety and depression scores, and several domains of quality of life.”

Yoga’s Impact on Your Mental Health

In related news, Duke University researchers recently published a review5 of more than 100 studies looking at the effect of yoga on mental health. Lead author Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy, a professor of psychiatry and medicine at Duke University Medical Center told Time Magazine:6
“Most individuals already know that yoga produces some kind of a calming effect. Individually, people feel better after doing the physical exercise. Mentally, people feel calmer, sharper, maybe more content. We thought it’s time to see if we could pull all [the literature] together… to see if there’s enough evidence that the benefits individual people notice can be used to help people with mental illness.”
According to their findings, yoga appears to have a positive effect on:
  • Mild depression
  • Sleep problems
  • Schizophrenia (among patients using medication)
  • ADHD (among patients using medication)
Some of the studies suggest yoga can have a similar effect to antidepressants and psychotherapy, by influencing neurotransmitters and boosting serotonin. Yoga was also found to reduce levels of inflammation, oxidative stress, blood lipids and growth factors. As reported by Time:7
“Embracing yoga as a complementary treatment for mental disorders is not uncommon. Yoga is a feature in many veterans’ centers throughout the country, backed by research funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Huffington Post reported that many troops use yoga as a form of treatment for PTSD, for example, with companies like Warriors at Ease training instructors in yoga techniques specifically catered to those in the military. A study published earlier this month of 70 active-duty troops found daily yoga eased anxiety and improved sleep.
The researchers say there’s enough evidence to warrant a larger study on the effects of yoga on mental health, and it should be considered as part of treatment for more disorders...
'What we are saying is that we still need to do further, large-scale studies before we are ready to conclude that people with mental illnesses can turn to yoga as a first-line treatment,' says Doraiswamy. 'We are not saying throw away your Prozac and turn to yoga. We’re saying it has the promise and potential. If a large national study were done, it could turn out that yoga is just as good and may be a low cost alternative to people with unmet needs.' In the meantime, he says it doesn’t hurt to add yoga to existing treatments so patients can take advantage of any potential benefits.”

Is Exercise the Best 'Drug' for Depression?

Some psychologists swear by exercise as a primary form of treatment for depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. Research has shown again and again that patients who follow aerobic-exercise regimens see improvement in their depression -- improvements comparable to that of those treated with medication. The results really are impressive when you consider that exercise is virtually free and can provide you with numerous other health benefits too.
Exercise not only relieves depressive symptoms but also appears to prevent them from recurring. For example, one study conducted by Duke University in the late 1990's divided depressed patients into three treatment groups:
  • Exercise only
  • Exercise plus antidepressant
  • Antidepressant drug only
After six weeks, the drug-only group was doing slightly better than the other two groups. However, after 10 months of follow-up, it was the exercise-only group that had the highest remission and stay-well rate. In another study,8 which involved 80 adults aged 20 to 45 years who were diagnosed with mild to moderate depression, researchers looked at exercise alone to treat the condition and found:
  • Those who exercised with low-intensity for three and five days a week showed a 30 percent reduction in symptoms
  • Participants who did stretching flexibility exercises 15 to 20 minutes three days a week averaged a 29 percent decline

Yoga for Weight Loss and Health Maintenance

The following video, featuring Arthur Boorman, a disabled veteran of the Gulf War, is perhaps one of the most inspiring yoga success stories I’ve ever seen. His injuries had put him on a downward spiral for 15 years, and his doctors had told him he'd never be able to walk unassisted again. Due to his injuries, he couldn't perform high impact exercises, but one day, he came across an article about yoga, and the rest, as they say, is history...
If you've ever doubted the transformative power of a low impact exercise such as yoga, I urge you to take a look at this video. It's a truly remarkable story. Not only did he rapidly start losing weight, he also gained tremendous strength, balance and flexibility — to the point he proved his doctors' prognosis wrong by walking unaided in less than a year!
Interestingly, research9 published just last year discovered that yoga has a beneficial impact on leptin, a hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure. According to the authors, novice yoga practitioners had 36 percent higher leptin levels compared to experts, leading them to theorize that regular yoga practice may benefit your health by altering leptin and adiponectin production:
We compared adiponectin and leptin data from novice and expert yoga practitioners. Leptin plays a proinflammatory role, adiponectin has anti-inflammatory properties. Leptin was 36 percent higher among novices compared to experts. Experts' average adiponectin to leptin ratio was nearly twice that of novices.”
Both insulin and leptin resistance are associated with obesity, and impairment of their ability to transfer the information to receptors is the true foundational core of most all chronic degenerative diseases. Leptin tells your brain whether you should be hungry, eat and make more fat, whether you should reproduce, or (partly by controlling insulin) whether to engage in maintenance and repair. In short, leptin is the way that your fat stores speak to your brain to let your brain know how much energy is available and, very importantly, what to do with it.
Therefore, leptin may be on top of the food chain in metabolic importance and relevance to disease. If your leptin signaling is working properly.
When your fat stores are "full," this extra fat will cause a surge in your leptin level, which signals your brain to stop feeling hungry, to stop eating, to stop storing fat and to start burning some extra fat off. Controlling hunger is a major (though not the only) way that leptin controls energy storage. Hunger is a very powerful, ancient, and deep-seated drive that, if stimulated long enough, will make you eat and store more energy. The only way to eat less in the long-term is to not be hungry, and the only way to do this is to control the hormones that regulate hunger, the primary one being leptin.

Aim for a Comprehensive Fitness Program

Yoga and other simple restorative exercises tone and strengthen your body, increase circulation and oxygen flow, energize you for the day and help you unwind in the evening. However, while recent studies support the use yoga to improve atrial fibrillation and common psychiatric disorders (along with many other health benefits, such as promoting flexibility and core muscles, alleviating back pain, and more), I think it’s important to incorporate a variety of exercises into your routine for optimal health results.
Ideally, you’ll want a comprehensive fitness program that includes aerobic, anaerobic, and resistance training as well, in addition to flexibility and core-building exercises like yoga, or Foundation Training.

Foundation Training, created by Dr. Eric Goodman is another simple and elegant approach that can be particularly useful for those with back pain and/or those who are too infirm for yoga.  Foundation training is all about your core.  As Dr. Goodman explains, your core is anything that connects to your pelvis, whether above or below it and this includes your hamstrings, glutes, and adductor muscles. Foundation Training teaches all those muscles to work together through integrated chains of movement, which is how you're structurally designed to move.  It also teaches you structural breathing, which will help improve your posture, especially when seated.  For more information about Foundation Training, check out my previous article and interview with Dr. Goodman.

Healthy Weight Loss


When I initially meet with my clients, the majority of them ask the same question: "How much weight can I expect to lose?"  Although there is no blanket statement that covers everybody, in general, an ideal goal is about one pound per week.  Of course this will vary depending on the person.  Someone who is overweight will typically lose the first few pounds quicker than someone who isn't.  This is simply because they have more weight to lose and they are usually going from a sedentary lifestyle to an active lifestyle.  Therefore, small changes will make a big difference with this type of person.  Others who already have a regular exercise/diet regimen that are only looking to drop a couple pounds will typically lose weight slower.
Like many of you, I have seen and heard of several crash diets and exercise programs that just aren't effective for the majority of people.  The reason is that most of these aren't sustainable and many of the exercise programs are too intense for someone who has never worked out before.  This usually leads to frustration which causes many people to quit.  Even worse, you could injure yourself.  Although some of these programs provide quick results, you have to stick with it to see continued progress.  You also have to constantly change the routines because eventually you will get bored doing the same exercises all the time.  Boredom also leads to quitting.  These are some of the reasons why people go through cyclic weight loss. 
So how can you lose weight and keep it off?  I'm glad you asked.  Here are some realistic steps you can take to lose weight the healthy way and sustain the results:
For more information on health and wellness, visit www.NoXJustR.com.


  1. Try to burn an extra 500 calories per day through diet and exercise (3500 calories = 1lb, so burning 500 extra calories per day means 3500 calories burned after one week).  This means consume less calories and burn more calories through exercise.  One way this can be done through eating is by replacing processed foods and carbonated drinks with whole foods and water.  With regards to exercise, try a few of these options: (a) decrease your rest time between sets, (b) increase the number of sets, (c) increase the amount of repetitions, (d) increase the resistance, (e) do more standing instead of sitting, (f) stretch while watching television, (g) take the stairs instead of the elevator when possible, (h) I could go on forever!
  2. Avoid crash diets.  Instead, experiment with different food groups and cooking styles until you find some that you like.  A useful website that lists various healthy foods and recipes is www.whfoods.com. Incorporate these into your diet.  Eventually you'll find that unhealhy cravings decrease.  Remember, in order for a meal plan to be successful, you have to actually enjoy the food.
  3. Reward yourself for one or two meals throughout the week.  This means have something that you crave, in moderation of course.  This helps prevent binge eating.
  4. Don't cut everything off cold turkey.  Make it a progression.  Slowly introduce your body to new foods and exercise.  It's similar to a long-time cigarette smoker that tries to quit smoking all at once.  It usually doesn't work.
  5. Don't weigh yourself every day or every week.  One of two things usually happens with those just starting a new routine.  (1)  You get depressed when your weight doesn't decrease as fast as you thought it should or (2) You get excited because you are losing weight and you celebrate by overdosing on unhealthy food.  Instead of focusing on the scale, focus on how your clothes fit, how easily you're able to perform physical and how you look in the mirror.



A Simple Method to Improve Health

How you chew your food can quickly and positively impact your health. If you want to increase energy, improve sleep, and focus your mind better, all you have to do is change one small eating habit.

Why Chewing Your Food Can Change Your Life

“Make sure and chew your food.” Didn’t we all hear this statement countless times growing up?
Well, there is certainly some wisdom to be gained from this common phrase, and here are some reasons why chewing your food completely can change your quality of life for the better.

1. It triggers digestion

Digestion begins with chewing. When you chew your food thoroughly, you begin to mechanically break it down into smaller and smaller particles. As you chew, you secrete saliva, and saliva coats your food with the enzymes amylase and lipase. These enzymes begin to digest fats and starches right in your mouth.

2. Signals your digestive tract to gear up and do its job

Chewing signals the body to begin the digestion process. It alerts the stomach to prepare to make stomach acid, and it signals the pancreas to prepare to secrete its contents into the small intestinal tract.

3. Helps ensure proper digestion

Digestive enzymes and stomach acid only work on the surface of food fragments. By chewing your food completely, there will be a larger the surface area available for your digestive enzymes and stomach acid to digest. Think about it, if you swallow a large glob of food, only the outer portion of it will be easily accessible for your digestive enzymes and stomach acid to break down. When you have chewed your food until it’s basically liquefied, your digestive enzymes and stomach acid will easily be able to coat it and do their job.

4. Promotes growth and repair in the body

Food is complex and contains many types of molecules including proteins. Proteins are critical because they are broken down into amino acids, and amino acids are the building blocks for growth and repair. They are essential for life – we cannot create or store amino acids in our body and lack of chewing creates a barrier to the digestion of proteins and ultimately to the digestion of amino acids.

5. It’s a foundation for disease prevention

Chewing is fundamental for disease prevention. By chewing your food completely, you support your body in the digestion of its building blocks. By properly digesting and absorbing these building blocks, you can expect increased energy, improved sleep, and increased focus.
Take action today!
Chew your food until it’s liquefied and enjoy better health.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

FAT UTILIZATION

You've probably heard that High Intensity Interval Training can get you out of the gym in less time while providing a very effective workout. The fat burning potential is said to be as good if not better than what's achieved during steady state exercise. A study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise suggests that daily physical activity works in a similar way.
Some healthy male subjects worked off high-fat meals by exercising continuously for 40 minutes followed by another round of steady state activity lasting 45 minutes. Others were told to ride an exercise bike for 5 minutes every half hour a total of 17 times. After 3 days of this, researchers determined that greater fat oxidation occurred with intermittent exercise.

True Strength Moment: If you think about it, you have plenty of opportunities to work interval style activity into your busy day. Take the stairs instead of riding the elevator. Walk to that lunch place down the street instead of driving. Augmenting your time at the gym, these bursts of physical activity might help boost your daily fat burning potential.

EXERCISE CAN BEAT TRIGLYCERIDES


Exercise can help you improve in a variety of ways, and a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology adds to this list with a recommendation for reducing the increase of blood triglycerides that follows a meal.
Six healthy young men exercised for an hour at 50% of their capacity or following an intermittent style of training that alternated between 2 minutes of 25% effort and 2 minutes at 90%. The next morning, they consumed a balanced meal. Levels of triglycerides were measured 2, 4 and 6 hours post-meal. Fat oxidation improved in both groups compared to a control group that didn't exercise, with best results seen performing HIIT style training.

True Strength Moment: Intense exercise looks like your best alternative for keeping triglycerides in check, but don't underestimate the potential of extended-duration endurance workouts. They're an invaluable tool for improving your conditioning and still have an impressive impact on triglycerides. Mix up your training with a combination of cardio challenges.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

The Health and Fitness Lifestyle


When people think of health and fitness we all generally include the attributes of happiness and success thrown in as well. But to many people health means absence from illness. However, according to the World Health Organization:
"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." So when we think of a healthy and fit lifestyle we are more than likely correct in assuming that it also includes success and happiness which starts and ends with attitude.
Let's take a look at the specific definition of what this means considering what is written above. The first step is physical fitness which is generally defined as "the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, and with ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits and to meet unforeseen emergencies."
In order to achieve this it must be improved through long-term and regular participation in exercises, as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Physical fitness can also be classified into two categories: (1) health-related fitness and (2) sport-related fitness.
But it goes a step farther as the components of health-related fitness also generally known as physical fitness include; cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular strength and muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition, and neuromuscular relaxation.
Cardio-respiratory Endurance refers to the ability of the circulatory system and the respiratory system (i.e., heart and lungs) to supply oxygen to the working muscles and remove metabolic wastes (e.g., carbon dioxide) at the same time. This a vital component of health-related fitness because the human body and the brain must have sufficient oxygen supply to work normally. The more sufficient the oxygen supply, the more efficient the different body parts can work.
Studies done have shown that the capacity of the heart to pump blood and the body to absorb oxygen reduces 5% to 15% every 10 years after the age 25. However if one participates regularly in endurance training it is undoubtedly beneficial to cardio-respiratory efficiency.
Muscular Strength refers to the maximum force that can be produced by a muscle or muscle group in a single contraction (i.e., 1-RM). However muscular endurance refers to the ability of the muscles to contract repeatedly, or maintain a submaximal force for an extended period of time.
The bottom line is that heavier workloads cannot be overcome with insufficient muscular strength and endurance, which may also lead to premature muscular fatigue and muscular pain. Insufficient muscular strength and endurance is also a factor of sport injuries, or other chronic musculo-skeletal injuries.
Flexibility refers to the ability of a joint or a series of joints to move through its full range of movement. This is an important factor when looking at total health and fitness as with better flexibility movement can be performed at higher efficiency (e.g., hurdling). Besides, good flexibility also helps to prevent sport injuries (e.g., strains).
The next item for consideration when looking at total health and fitness is body composition and this refers to the proportion of fat to non-fat components (i.e., bones and muscles) in the human body. Overweight and obesity is not only detrimental to sports performances but it will also increase the chances for suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
The last consideration is your neuromuscular relaxation which refers to the ability to reduce or even eliminate unnecessary tension or contractions of muscles due to stress. To put it simply being able to relax not only enables one to work more efficiently, but also facilitates sport performances.
Sport-related fitness includes all of the attributes mentioned above as well as the following: Agility, Balance, Coordination, Reaction Time, Speed and Power. This is something that could be considered as part of a healthy and fit lifestyle but that would depend on your specific sporting objective obviously.


Alzheimer’s disease


Brain Lesions May Play Role in Alzheimer’s

White matter hyperintensities may be a “second hit” that combines with beta-amyloid to produce Alzheimer’s disease, researchers found.
In a cohort of participants in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, the two factors were independent predictors of Alzheimer’s disease, according to Adam Brickman, PhD, of Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues.
But among people with elevated amyloid levels, those with the disease had higher volumes of white matter hyperintensities or small brain lesions detectable on MRI, they reported online in JAMA Neurology.
Among participants with mild cognitive impairment, both factors predicted the transition to Alzheimer’s disease, they explained.
“White matter hyperintensities contribute to the presentation of Alzheimer’s disease and, in the context of significant amyloid deposition, may provide a second hit necessary for the clinical manifestation of the disease,” they wrote.
Current models of the disease place the emphasis on the accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain, but some people remain cognitively healthy despite amyloidosis.
That suggests that amyloid deposition may be necessary to cause the disease, but it may not be all that’s required, the authors said, adding that vascular factors have been consistently linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
They looked at data from 100 older participants in the neuroimaging project, 21 who were cognitively normal, 59 with mild cognitive impairment, and 20 diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers used MRI to establish the volume of white mater hyperintensities and PET studies with the Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB) tracer to quantify beta-amyloid positivity.
Of the 41 scans from patients with Alzheimer’s disease and control subjects, 28 (68%) were classified as PIB positive. Of this 68%, 11 were clinically defined as normal control subjects and the remaining were clinically defined as having Alzheimer’s disease.
Of the 13 without amyloidosis, just three met clinical criteria for Alzheimer’s, Brickman and colleagues reported.
A logistic regression analysis showed that higher lesion volume (P=0.02) and higher beta-amyloid (P=0.049) were each significantly and independently associated with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
When the analysis was restricted just to participants with amyloidosis, increased lesion volume was also significantly associated with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis (P=0.002).
The 59 participants with mild cognitive impairment were followed 29.73 months on average; during follow-up, 22 converted to Alzheimer’s disease.
Of the 59 at baseline, seven had low amyloid and low lesion volume, 11 had low amyloid but high lesion volume, 17 had amyloidosis but low lesion volume, and 24 were high in both factors.
The proportion of participants who converted to Alzheimer’s during follow-up increased monotonically across the four groups, Brickman and colleagues reported, and the linear-by-linear association was significant (P=0.03).
One implication of the findings is that modifying the risk factors for white matter hyperintensities might help prevent the clinical syndrome of Alzheimer’s, the authors noted. But they also cautioned that the study is small and replication in a larger sample is needed.
Nevertheless, they concluded, “it is becoming clear from studies such as this one and others that vascular factors are quite important in the pathogenesis of the (Alzheimer’s) phenotype.”
Other recent research has also linked vascular factors to the risk of cognitive decline. Earlier this month, researchers reported that vascular brain injury appears to play a role in the development of mild cognitive impairment, but amyloidosis does not.
The findings have “important clinical implications” given that up to 30% of cognitively healthy older people have elevated amyloid levels, commented Karen Rodrigue, PhD, of the University of Texas at Dallas.
While the exact contribution of small vessel cerebrovascular disease to Alzheimer’s pathology remains unclear, “the presence of vascular risk exacerbates cognitive aging,” she argued in an accompanying editorial.
It follows that “better and earlier control” of the manifestations of cerebrovascular disease is likely to pay off in better cognitive and cardiovascular health, she commented.

by Michael Smith, North American Correspondent
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Primary source: JAMA Neurology
Source reference: Provenzano FA, et al “White matter hyperintensities and cerebral amyloidosis: necessary and sufficient for clinical expression of Alzheimer disease?” Arch Neurol 2013; 70: 1-7.
Additional source: JAMA Neurology
Source reference: odrigue KM “Contribution of cerebrovascular health to the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease” Arch Neurol 2013; 70.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

12 Most Pesticide Contaminated Produce Items

Do you know what are the 12 Most Pesticide Contaminated Produce Items You May be Feeding your Family? Use this knowledge to buy Organic for these top 12.

The following 12 produce items have been shown to be the most contaminated. Try to buy these produce items in organic form to avoid the excessive amounts of pesticide.
1. Strawberries
2. Celery
3. Apples
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines
7. Kale/collard greens
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Lettuce
10. Blueberries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes

These 15 produce items are known by the EWG as the “clean 15″. They have the least amount of pesticides and buying organic for these items may not be worth the extra money.

1. Grapefruit
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Mushrooms
6. Cantaloupe
7. Sweet potatoes
8. Eggplant
9. Sweet peas
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Mangoes
14. Onions
15. Asparagus

The conclusion of the analysis confirmed that if someone were to eat from the clean 15 and purchased organically from the dirty dozen, they would lower their pesticide intake by 92%.

Sources:
http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list/http://ww.MyBestHealthPortal.net
11 hours ago

New 3D Mammography Significantly Increases Radiation Exposure, and Your Risk of Radiation-Induced Cancer

By Dr. Mercola
Breast cancer is big business, and mammography is one of its primary profit centers. This is why the industry is fighting tooth and nail to keep it, by downplaying or outright ignoring its significant risks.
In the US, women are still urged to get an annual mammogram starting at the age of 40, completely ignoring the updated guidelines set forth by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in 2009.
Unfortunately, many women are completely unaware that the science simply does not back up the use of routine mammograms as a means to prevent breast cancer death.
As was revealed in a 2011 meta-analysis by the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews, mammography breast cancer screening led to 30 percent overdiagnosis and overtreatment, which equates to an absolute risk increase of 0.5 percent.
There's also the risk of getting a false negative, meaning that a life-threatening cancer is missed.
Unfortunately, many choose to ignore the science and continue to campaign for annual screenings without so much as a hint at the risks involved. What’s worse, in a shocking disregard for women’s health, instead of admitting there are marked flaws in mammography, they’ve now unveiled a “new and improved” type of mammogram, called 3D tomosynthesis.
Tomosynthesis is a clever re-branding of the status quo. The multi-millions of dollars spent on creating these invasive machines could have been better utilized on continuing the development of less- or non-invasive technologies such as ultrasound and infrared imaging, inventing new technologies, and on educating women on preventative strategies.
Not only does tomosynthesis still require mechanical compression, it actually exposes you to even HIGHER doses of radiation than a standard mammogram! They also still recommend you continue to receive your traditional 2D mammogram, further multiplying radiation exposure. What kind of insanity is at play here, really? This is not progress in “the war on cancer.”

New 3-D Mammography is Basically a CT Scan for Breasts

To achieve a three-dimensional image, the machine moves in an arc around your breast, taking multiple x-rays along the way, which are then computed together into a 3D image. The technology received FDA approval in 2011, and is now available in 46 states around the US. But should it be?
“The most effective way to decrease women’s risk of becoming a breast cancer patient is to avoid attending screening. Mammography screening is one of the greatest controversies in healthcare, and the extent to which some scientists have sacriļ¬ced sound scientiļ¬c principles in order to arrive at politically acceptable results in their research is extraordinary.
In contrast, neutral observers increasingly ļ¬nd that the beneļ¬t has been much oversold and that the harms are much greater than previously believed.” writes Peter C. Gotzche, MD of The Nordic Cochrane Centre and author of Mammography Screening: Truth, Lies and Controvesy
As reported by USA Today1 last year:
'The procedures give women twice as much radiation as a standard mammogram, notes surgeon Susan Love, author of Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book. That's because women who get 3-D imaging still undergo traditional 2-D mammography, as well.
Radiation is a known cause of breast cancer. Researchers in recent years have become concerned about radiation exposure from medical imaging, particularly CT scans. A 2009 analysis estimated that CT scans cause about 29,000 cancers and 14,500 deaths a year.

Soltani says the total radiation dose from 3-D mammography is still relatively low, in spite of this increase — from 0.5 millisieverts to 1.0 millisieverts. In comparison, a CT scan of the head has a radiation dose of about 2.0 millisieverts.

Love says she's skeptical about the technology, which she compares to 'a new toy,' noting that the most essential questions about its benefits are likely to remain unanswered. The most important question about a new type of screening, Love says, is not simply how well it finds cancer, but whether it saves lives.
There is no data to prove that tomosynthesis finds more cancer or saves lives, says Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. '3-D is a new technology that should not be used outside of a clinical trial,' Visco says.” [Emphasis mine]

3D Mammography — A Disaster in the Making?

I find the rollout of 3D mammograms quite disturbing considering the fact that the primary hazard of conventional 2D imaging is ionizing radiation. According to one 2010 study,2 annual screening using digital or screen-film mammography on women aged 40–80 years is associated with an induced cancer incidence and fatal breast cancer rate of 20–25 cases per 100, 000. Meaning, annual mammograms CAUSE 20-25 cases of fatal cancer for every 100,000 women getting the test. The study also states that:
  • Two-view screening with digital mammography delivers a slightly lower dose than does the older screen-film mammography
  • Mean glandular dose of radiation from a breast CT scan is comparable to that from one screen-film mammogram
  • A single digital breast tomosynthesis view involves a mean glandular dose comparable to that of a digital mammogram. The total radiation dose delivered at digital breast tomosynthesis will depend on the image acquisition strategy: whether single-view digital breast tomosynthesis, two-view digital breast tomosynthesis, or a combination of digital breast tomosynthesis and planar digital mammogram views are acquired.
Since the 3D mammogram requires multiple views in order to achieve three-dimensionality, it stands to reason your total radiation dose from 3D mammography can be considerably higher than a standard 2D mammogram. We know all levels of ionizing radiation can cause cancer but, astonishingly, radiologists still want you to have your traditional mammogram screening first, followed by a 3D tomosynthesis mammogram for those with dense breasts or an area of suspicion!
Again, this is not progress — it’s a huge step backward, making cancer screening even more dangerous than before.
Granted, a study3 published this year (which included more than 12,600 women), showed a 40 percent increase in the detection or identification of invasive cancers, and a 15 percent decrease in false positives when adding 3D mammography to traditional 2D screening. But while this sounds good, this must be weighed against the now significantly increased risk of the test itself CAUSING fatal cancer.

Confirmed: The More Mammograms You Get the More Harm They Do

Sayer Ji, founder of Greenmedinfo.com recently posted an article on mammograms, stating:4
“Mammograms are in the news again, and it doesn't look good for those who continue to advocate using them to 'detect cancer early' in asymptomatic populations. The science increasingly runs directly counter to the screening guidelines produced by both governmental and nongovernmental health organizations claiming to be advocates for women's health.
Remember that only last November, the New England Journal of Medicine5 published a shocking analysis of the past 30 years of breast screening in the US, finding that 1.3 million women were overdiagnosed and overtreated for breast cancer – euphemisms for misdiagnosed and mistreated. This finding, released cunningly from scientific embargo to the media on the eve of Thanksgiving, was so devastating in its implications that many either did not understand its meaning, or could not bear to accept the truth...
The only calculable dimension of this world-historical failure is the billions of dollars that were made in the process of converting healthy, asymptomatic women into 'patients,' and if fortunate enough to make it through treatment, 'survivors.'”
As reported by The Los Angeles Times,6 another study is now raising eyebrows as it claims women who follow the American Cancer Society’s guidelines and get annual mammograms starting at age 40 not only receive NO additional protection against aggressive breast cancer, but actually experience greater harm through increased false positives and unnecessary treatments, when compared to women who get bi-annual mammograms between the ages of 50 and 74 only (which is what the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends).
“Even after researchers adjusted for confounding factors such as age, place of residence and race, they found no benefit to more frequent screenings,” the LA Times reports. “More concerning, the researchers found that the more times women were screened the greater their odds of getting 'false positives' on mammograms.”
The article goes on to estimate that if all American women between 66-89 received annual mammograms instead of biannual testing, this results in a staggering 3.86 million more false-positives and 1.15 million more biopsies.

Women Need to Become Better Informed

In order to make better informed decisions, women need to be provided with all of their screening options, including their strengths and weaknesses; benefits and risks. Today, women are still rarely informed about the fact that ionizing radiation is a major contributor to cancer, i.e. that routine testing itself can increase their risk of lethal breast cancer.
However, despite the introduction of 3D mammograms, the tide of thought on mammography’s benefits if rapidly changing, as evidenced by several recently published studies, including:
  1. Archives of Internal Medicine7 published a meta-analysis of 117 randomized, controlled mammogram trials. Among its findings: Rates of false-positive results are high (20% to 56% after 10 mammograms), and “although few women 50 years of age or older have risks from mammography that outweigh the benefits, the evidence suggests that more women 40 to 49 years of age have such risks”
  2. A study published in the British Medical Journal8 in December 2011, confirmed that breast cancer screening may cause women harm, especially during the early years after they start screening. This harm is largely due to surgeries, such as lumpectomies and mastectomies, and other (often unnecessary) interventions. The study highlights losses in quality of life from false positive results and unnecessary treatment
  3. In September 2010, the New England Journal of Medicine published the first study9 in years to examine the effectiveness of mammograms. Their findings are a far cry from what most public health officials would have you believe. The bottom line is that mammograms seem to have reduced cancer death rates by only 0.4 deaths per 1,000 women — an amount so small it might as well be zero. Put another way, 2,500 women would have to be screened over 10 years for a single breast cancer death to be avoided.
  4. A 2011 meta-analysis by the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews10 found that mammography breast cancer screening led to 30 percent overdiagnosis and overtreatment, which equates to an absolute risk increase of 0.5 percent. The researchers noted:
  5. "[F]or every 2,000 women invited for screening throughout 10 years, one will have her life prolonged and 10 healthy women, who would not have been diagnosed if there had not been screening, will be treated unnecessarily. Furthermore, more than 200 women will experience important psychological distress for many months because of false positive findings. It is thus not clear whether screening does more good than harm." [Emphasis mine]

Breast Cancer Prevention Strategies

Cancer screening is NOT to be misconstrued as a form of cancer prevention. Preventing breast cancer is far more important and powerful than simply trying to detect it after it has already formed, which is why I want to share my top tips on how to help prevent this disease in the first place.
In the largest review of research into lifestyle and breast cancer, the American Institute of Cancer Research estimated that about 40 percent of U.S. breast cancer cases could be prevented if people made wiser lifestyle choices.11, 12 I believe these estimates are far too low, and it is more likely that 75 percent to 90 percent of breast cancers could be avoided by strictly applying the recommendations below.
  • Avoid sugar, especially fructose. All forms of sugar are detrimental to health in general and promote cancer. Fructose, however, is clearly one of the most harmful and should be avoided as much as possible.
  • Optimize your vitamin D. Vitamin D influences virtually every cell in your body and is one of nature's most potent cancer fighters. Vitamin D is actually able to enter cancer cells and trigger apoptosis (cell death). If you have cancer, your vitamin D level should be between 70 and 100 ng/ml. Vitamin D works synergistically with every cancer treatment I'm aware of, with no adverse effects. I suggest you try watching my one-hour free lecture on vitamin D to learn more.
  • Remember that if you take high doses of oral vitamin D3 supplements, you also need to increase your vitamin K2 intake, as vitamin D increases the need for K2 to function properly. See my previous article What You Need to Know About Vitamin K2, D and Calcium for more information.
    Please consider joining one of GrassrootsHealth’s D*Action’s vitamin D studies to stay on top of your vitamin D performance. For more information, see my previous article How Vitamin D Performance Testing Can Help You Optimize Your Health.
  • Get plenty of natural vitamin A. There is evidence that vitamin A also plays a role in helping prevent breast cancer.13 It's best to obtain it from vitamin A-rich foods, rather than a supplement. Your best sources are organic egg yolks,14 raw butter, raw whole milk, and beef or chicken liver.
  • Lymphatic breast massage can help enhance your body’s natural ability to eliminate cancerous toxins. This can be applied by a licensed therapists, or you can implement self-lymphatic massage. It is also promotes self-nurturance.
  • Avoid charring your meats. Charcoal or flame broiled meat is linked with increased breast cancer risk. Acrylamide — a carcinogen created when starchy foods are baked, roasted or fried — has been found to increase breast cancer risk as well.
  • Avoid unfermented soy products. Unfermented soy is high in plant estrogens, or phytoestrogens, also known as isoflavones. In some studies, soy appears to work in concert with human estrogen to increase breast cell proliferation, which increases the chances for mutations and cancerous cells.
  • Improve your insulin receptor sensitivity. The best way to do this is by avoiding sugar and grains and making sure you are exercising, especially with Peak Fitness.
  • Maintain a healthy body weight. This will come naturally when you begin eating right for your nutritional type and exercising. It's important to lose excess body fat because fat produces estrogen.
  • Drink a quart of organic green vegetable juice daily. Please review my juicing instructions for more detailed information.
  • Get plenty of high quality animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil. Omega-3 deficiency is a common underlying factor for cancer.
  • Curcumin. This is the active ingredient in turmeric and in high concentrations can be very useful adjunct in the treatment of breast cancer. It shows immense therapeutic potential in preventing breast cancer metastasis.15 It's important to know that curcumin is generally not absorbed that well, so I've provided several absorption tips here.
  • Avoid drinking alcohol, or at least limit your alcoholic drinks to one per day.
  • Breastfeed exclusively for up to six months. Research shows breastfeeding can reduce your breast cancer risk.
  • Avoid wearing underwire bras. There is a good deal of data that metal underwire bras can heighten your breast cancer risk.
  • Avoid electromagnetic fields as much as possible. Even electric blankets can increase your cancer risk.
  • Avoid synthetic hormone replacement therapy. Breast cancer is an estrogen-related cancer, and according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer rates for women dropped in tandem with decreased use of hormone replacement therapy. (There are similar risks for younger women who use oral contraceptives. Birth control pills, which are also comprised of synthetic hormones, have been linked to cervical and breast cancers.)
  • If you are experiencing excessive menopausal symptoms, you may want to consider bioidentical hormone replacement therapy instead, which uses hormones that are molecularly identical to the ones your body produces and do not wreak havoc on your system. This is a much safer alternative.
  • Avoid BPA, phthalates and other xenoestrogens. These are estrogen-like compounds that have been linked to increased breast cancer risk
  • Make sure you're not iodine deficient, as there's compelling evidence linking iodine deficiency with breast cancer. Dr. David Brownstein,16 author of the book Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It, is a proponent of iodine for breast cancer. It actually has potent anticancer properties and has been shown to cause cell death in breast and thyroid cancer cells.
  • For more information, I recommend reading Dr. Brownstein's book. I have been researching iodine for some time ever since I interviewed Dr. Brownstein as I do believe that the bulk of what he states is spot on. However, I am not at all convinced that his dosage recommendations are correct. I believe they are too high.

Arm Yourself with Information So You Can Take Control of Your Health

Many women are completely unaware that the science backing the use of mammograms is sorely lacking, and that more women are being harmed by regular mammograms than are saved by them. Peter C. Gotzche, MD of the Nordic Cochrane Centre' recently published a groundbreaking book Mammography Screening: Truth, Lies and Controversy. It offers a comprehensive take on the evidence, and a critical look at the scientiļ¬c disputes and the information provided to women by governments and cancer charities. It also explains why mammography screening is unlikely to be effective today.
Many also do not realize that the “new and improved” 3D tomosynthesis mammogram actually ends up exposing you to MORE cancer-causing ionizing radiation than the older version. This is not a step forward... Please understand that there are other screening options, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and you have a right to utilize those options. Also remember that in order to truly avoid breast cancer, you need to focus your attention on prevention.