Mens Health
More reasons to avoid Soy products.
10 October 2008The Evil That Soy Does!?!
This came into my inbox on Tuesday from Dr. Mercola’s newsletter posted for all to read at his website Mercola.com
We have already written about the merits or rather demerits of consuming too much soy, but now it seems that any amount is too much if it is the wrong genetically modified, processed version such as soy lecithin. Soy lecithin is incredibly hard to avoid especially if you choose to eat those processed food varieties. To make the processed food stable and give it a shelf life longer than your carrots, companies simply have to add products to your food to make it last, be it high salt content, preservatives, additives or soy. Consuming any of these products in high quantities can be detrimental to your health. As always fresh is best when it comes to what you are putting in your body.
Dr. Mercola goes on to say: What’s So Wrong With Soy?
Unlike the Asian culture, where people eat small amounts of whole soybean products, western food processors separate the soybean into two golden commodities–protein and oil. And there is nothing natural or safe about these products.
Says Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story, “Today’s high-tech processing methods not only fail to remove the anti-nutrients and toxins that are naturally present in soybeans but leave toxic and carcinogenic residues created by the high temperatures, high pressure, alkali and acid baths and petroleum solvents.”
Dr. Daniel also points out the findings of numerous studies reviewed by her and other colleagues — that soy does not reliably lower cholesterol, and in fact raises homocysteine levels in many people, which has been found to increase your risk of stroke, birth defects, and yes: heart disease.
Other common health problems linked to a high-soy diet include:
Thyroid Problems, including weight gain, lethargy, malaise, fatigue, hair loss, and loss of libido
Premature puberty and other developmental problems in babies, children and adolescents
Brain damage
Reproductive disorders
Weakened immune system
Severe, potentially fatal food allergies.
Most soy, perhaps about 80 percent or more, is also genetically modified, which adds its own batch of health concerns.
Despite these findings, many people still want to believe the hype, thinking that these studies must somehow be wrong. But the content of soy itself should be a clue. For example, non-fermented soy products contain:
• Phytoestrogens (isoflavones) genistein and daidzein, which mimic and sometimes block the hormone estrogen
• Phytates, which block your body’s uptake of minerals
• Enzyme Inhibitors, which hinder protein digestion
• Hemaggluttin, which causes red blood cells to clump together and inhibits oxygen take-up and growth
• High amounts of omega-6 fat, which is pro-inflammatory
To read the article in its entirety and also view comments posted by Dr.Mercola’s readers go to the Mercola website. Simply put, Mercola has a plethera of information on reasons not to consume Soy. It is such an important topic to understand, as more and more in the coming months, companies are going to be touting soy as the next big health food/drink. In reality soy is not the answer to your health situation, a well-balanced, nutritious diet with adequate amounts of exercise is. Read the articles, become informed and choose whether soy is right for you based on the information you find out not just on what we can write here.
Make an adjustment: Stay Healthy ~ Be Happy!
Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com
Do I need an antibiotic for that?
18 July 2008Antibiotics are overused and over-prescribed and as such certain bacteria are starting to become resistant to the more common antibiotics that we have. We rely on antibiotics for our health and forget that sometimes overuse can be as detrimental as doing nothing - we know that MRSA has become prevalent in both our hospitals and schools and this bacteria is known to be Methicillin resistant. More often than not going into a doctor’s office with a child pulling at their ears will result in a prescription for an antibiotic before you leave, even though it is commonly known that most cases of otitis media (the medical term for ear infection) will resolve by themselves.
If you are a parent who drags their child to urgent care or your pediatrician’s office looking for a prescription every time your child sniffs, sneezes or runs a high temperature, it’s time to do your research on how antibiotics really work. The term antibiotic was coined in 1942 by Selman Waksman to refer to any substance produced by a micro-organism that is antagonistic to the growth of others in high dilution. There are many classifications of antibiotics and while some are bacteria specific others are known as “broad spectrum” as they can attack many different bacteria. Penicillin (possibly the best known antibiotic) was discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming and 10 years later Ernst Chain and Howard Florey expanded on his discovery by bringing the purified form of penicillin to market. All three won the 1945 Nobel Prize in Medicine. However, none of the antibiotics on the market today will cure a common cold or the flu. Antibiotics are used for a whole myriad of bacterial infections including Tetracyclene for acne, Trimethoprim for UTI’s, Bacitracin for ear, eye or bladder infections, and Amoxicillin for a wide range of infections including lyme disease. There is a place in modern medicine for antibiotics and life would certainly have been more painful and dire had Alexander Fleming not discovered penicillin. However, we have come to rely on these bacteria fighters to be our all-round cure and that just isn’t possible. Bacteria can be smart, and as we overuse the current antibiotics on the market the bacteria becomes resistant. Unfortunately people also fail to complete the dose suggested by their doctor and end up aiding in the super-bug phenomenon, in some parts of China, India and Russia, TB (tuberculosis) has become so rife and rampant due to antibiotic misuse, they are struggling to keep fighting this once almost extinct medical condition, it won’t be long before we could start seeing similar resistance happening here.
To be clear antibiotics work on BACTERIA, the common cold, the flu, a cough or any similar ailment is usually caused by a VIRUS, Kids Health has this to say about the difference between bacteria and viruses:
Bacteria are living organisms existing as single cells. Bacteria are everywhere and most don’t cause any harm, and in some cases may be beneficial. Lactobacillus, for example, live in the intestine and help digest food. But some bacteria are harmful and can cause illness by invading the human body, multiplying, and interfering with normal bodily processes. Antibiotics are effective against bacteria because they work to kill these living organisms by stopping their growth and reproduction.
Viruses, on the other hand, are not alive and cannot exist on their own — they are particles containing genetic material wrapped in a protein coat.
Viruses “live,” grow, and reproduce only after they’ve invaded other living cells. Some viruses may be fought off by the body’s immune system before they cause illness, but others (colds, flu, and chickenpox, for example) must simply run their course. Viruses do not respond to antibiotics at all.
Not only is overuse of antibiotics dangerous some side effects of common or mainstream antibiotics can be really toxic. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just issued a mandate to put a black box warning on certain antibiotic boxes. The regulation deals with flouroquinolone drugs which are a potent class of antibacterials and an unusual but frightening side effect is coming to light. From antibiotics.org “…Tendon ruptures are normally thought of as sports injuries, generally occurring usually among men in their mid-thirties. The link to treatment with the antibiotics is highly unusual, and scientists still don’t fully understand why it happens. However, FDA officials stressed that many of the serious injuries appear to be preventable if patients stop taking the drug at the first sign of pain or swelling in a tendon, call their doctor, and switch to another antibiotic.
The two leading drugs covered by the warning are Cipro, made by Bayer, and Levaquin, which is made by Ortho-McNeil. Cipro became a household name during the anthrax attacks of 2001. It is effective against that deadly bacteria, and is among the medications stockpiled by the government in case of a bio-terror attack. In everyday medicine, Cipro is often used to treat urinary tract infections. Levaquin is generally used to treat respiratory infections.”
So if you decide to see your doctor for the flu or other viral infections, do not ask for antibiotics. Take their advice and go home, get plenty of rest and fluids and wait it out. If you are prescribed antibiotics ask your doctor if they are essential, specifically in the case of an ear infection. If your doctor still recommends taking the prescribed course, remember to finish the entire dose your doctor prescribed to you. Avoid taking with dairy products as this may impede the absorption.
Ask your Fontana Family Chiropractor about ways to reduce or eliminate ear infections or other common ailments such as flu (and the prevention of) or sinus problems; often regular adjustments might be all you need to ensure you will be on the road to recovery in no time.
Make an adjustment. Stay healthy ~ Be happy. Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com (Evergreen CO)
Industrial Chemicals cause damage to children
25 February 2008Industrial Chemicals Cause Damage to Children.
Children who are exposed to the thousands of synthetic chemicals in our environment are at greater risk of developing various health, behavior and learning problems. When the exposure takes place before birth or in the early months of life, the potential for damage is particularly high. What’s more, the research suggests that’s not only is the infant likely to be harmed, but succeeding generations may be impacted as well.
In 2007 two hundred scientists from around the world met at the Faroe Islands to share their findings and call for decisive steps to address the thousands of toxic chemicals in our environment that are causing harm. Industries and governmental agencies have resisted taking any action, claiming that there is little evidence of harm from the thousands of chemicals in our air, water, food and consumer products.
In the United States, a key figure in determining policy has been James L. Connaughton, Senior Environmental Advisor and Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. His appointment was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in June of 2001. The Environmental Working Group reports “Before being appointed to this position, Connaughton was one of the Capitol Hill’s most successful lobbyists for the mining, chemical, industrial and asbestos industries.”
Of all the organs impacted by exposure, the developing brain is the most vulnerable. Not only is the child’s IQ likely to be reduced, the early exposure can impact on the muscles and nerves and possibly lead to Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s diseases later in life.
Exposure to lead, pesticides and cigarette smoke has been found to set a child up for ADHD symptoms.
The baby’s immune system and cardiovascular system can be damaged by chemical exposure and the reproductive system is especially vulnerable.
If an infant’s metabolic system is damaged by such chemicals he will have a difficult time using nutrients appropriately, putting him at risk for obesity and diabetes.
Among chemicals named as most hazardous by the researchers are: pesticides, lead, arsenic, mercury, flame retardants and PCB’s.
Prenatal Exposure to Cigarettes
Researchers at the University of Washington studied a group of 133 children ages 7 to 15 with behavioral disorders. They found that children whose mother’s smoked during their pregnancy or whose mother’s were exposed to second-hand smoke during the pregnancy had more severe behavior problems than those who did not have the exposure. They believe that exposure to nicotine could make the child more likely to exhibit impulsive behaviors.
Reprinted from Pure Facts, the newsletter of the Feingold Association of the United States, http://www.feingold.org/
Make an adjustment, stay healthy ~ be happy: Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at (303) 674 1500 to schedule a consultation or email office@fontanachiro.com