How To Make Healthy Choices With Fast Food…

Eating healthy at a fast food restaurant is difficult, but not impossible.
Try some of these tips to keep your diet healthier and lower in fat. If it is the only choice you have for lunch, choose  Healthier meals the rest of the day. The thing we need to avoid at all cost is that meal that is high in Fat and Sodium. Below are some helpful tips to follow if the need arises to eat fast food and keep it for lunch and NOT Dinner:

• Order orange juice or milk instead of soda to boost the vitamin and mineral content of your meal.
• If you are going to order a soda, order a small soda. It has about 150 fewer calories than the large one.
• When out for pizza with your friends, order a salad and enjoy it before the pizza comes. This will help to curb your appetite and start your metabolism to burn rather than store it as fat.
• Ask for sandwiches without special sauce, cheese, dressing, or mayonnaise and eliminate the bun.
• Choose the relatively healthier and lower fat items highlighted in bold print in charts below
• Order your salads with the dressing on the side.
• Try ordering something grilled, baked, or roasted not fried.  Instead of chicken nuggets try a grilled chicken sandwich without the bun.
• Order regular portion sizes instead of the jumbo sizes that are now common at most fast food restaurants.
• Share an entrée with a friend when going to a restaurant.
• Try a bake potato instead of french fries. Skip the butter and sour cream. Try BBQ sauce instead.
• Have Frozen Yogurt instead of Ice Cream

Check out the number of calories, fat, and sodium of your favorite meals at these fast food restaurants:
Arby’s, Burger King,  KFC, Mc Donald’s, Pizza Hut, Subway, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s. 

Items in BOLD print contain less than 30% of calories from fat:

ARBY’S ITEMs	CALORIES	FAT	SODIUM
Junior Roast Beef	310	13	740
Super Roast Beef	470	23	1130
Chicken Breast Fillet	540	30	1160
Roast Chicken Club	520	28	1440
French Dip	440	18	1680
Turkey Club Salad	350	21	920
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (no drsg.)	230	8	920
Light Grilled Chicken	280	5	1170
Light Roast Turkey	260	5	980
Grilled Chicken Salad	210	5	800
Curly Fries (Med)	400	20	990
Homestyle Fries Child’s	220	10	430

 

BURGER KING ITEMS	CALORIES	FAT	SODIUM
Whopper w/o mayo	530	22	840
Whopper w/ Cheese	780	47	1390
Hamburger	320	14	530
BK Big Fish	710	38	1200
Chicken Club Sandwich	740	44	1530
BK Broiler w/o mayo	390	8	1010
Chicken Tenders (8pc)	340	19	840
French Fries-Sm. (no salt)	230	11	240
Onion Rings-Med.	320	16	460
Croissan’wich w/ Sausage, Egg, Cheese	500	36	1020
Cini-Mini (No Icing)	440	23	710
French Toast Sticks	390	20	440

 

KFC ITEMS	CALORIES	FAT	SODIUM
Original Wing w/Skin	140	10	414
Ex. Crispy Breast w/Skin	470	28	874
“ “ Breast w/o skin*	344	14	797
Original Thigh w/ Skin	250	18	747
Original Thigh w/o Skin*	196	12	312
Roast Chicken Sandwich w/ No Sauce	270	5	690
BBQ Chicken Sandwich	310	6	560
Corn on the Cob	150	2	20
Mash Potato w/ Gravy	120	6	440
* Estimated

 

PIZZA HUT ITEMS	CALORIES	FAT	SODIUM
Info. for 1 med. slice:
Thin ‘N Crispy
Cheese	200	9	590
Sausage	290	17	800
Ham	170	7	610
Veggie Lover’s	190	7	520
Pan Pizza
Chicken Supreme	270	12	580
Meat Lover’s	360	21	840
Veggie Lover’s	270	12	510
Personal Pan
Info. for each pizza:
Cheese	630	28	1370
Pepperoni	620	28	1430
Sausage	740	39	1640
Spaghetti w/Marinara	490	6	730
Spaghetti w/ Meatballs	850	24	1120
Hot Buffalo Wings (4)	210	12	900
Garlic Bread (1 sl.)	150	8	240
Bread Stick/1 serv.	130	4	170

 

MC DONALD’S ITEMS	CALORIES	FAT	SODIUM
Hamburger	280	10	590
Cheeseburger	330	14	830
Quarter Pounder w/Cheese	530	30	1310
Big Mac	590	34	1090
Fillet-of-Fish	470	26	890
Chicken McGrill Deluxe w/o mayo	340	7	890
Chicken McNugs (6)	290	17	540
French Fries (Sm.)	210	10	135
French Fries (Super)	610	29	390
Garden Salad	100	6	120
Grilled Chicken Salad	100	3	240
Fat-free Herb Dressing	35	0	260
Ranch	170	18	460
Egg McMuffin	290	12	790
Sausage Biscuit/egg	490	33	1010
Hash Browns	130	8	330
Hotcakes Plain	340	8	630
Hotcakes w/Margarine & Syrup	600	17	770
Lowfat Apple Muffin	300	3	380
Vanilla Cone	150	5	75
Hot Fudge Sundae	340	12	170
Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait	380	5	240
Baked Apple Pie	260	13	200
McDonaldland Cookies	230	8	250
Vanilla Shake (Small)	360	9	250
1% Lowfat Milk	100	3	115
Orange Juice	80	0	20

 

WENDY’S ITEMS	CALORIES	FAT	SODIUM
Classic Single	410	19	920
Big Bacon Classic	580	30	1460
Jr. Hamburger	270	9	620
Grilled Chicken	300	7	740
Chicken Club	470	20	940
Fries-Medium	420	20	130
Fries-Great Biggie	570	27	180
Baked Potato-Plain	310	0	25
Baked Potato-Bacon & Cheese	530	17	820
Chili-Small	210	7	800
Chili-Large	310	10	1190
Chicken Nuggets (5)	230	16	470
Caesar Side Salad	110	5	380
Grilled Chicken Salad	200	7	780
Taco Salad	380	19	1040
Fat-free French Drsg	70	0	300
Soft Breadstick	130	3	250

 

TACO BELL ITEMS	CALORIES	FAT	SODIUM
Taco	210	12	330
Taco Supreme	260	16	350
Soft Taco-Chicken	190	7	480
Soft Taco-Steak	280	17	630
Bean Burrito	370	12	1080
Burrito Supreme-Beef	430	18	1210
Burrito Supreme – Chicken	410	16	1120
Fiesta Burrito-Chicken	370	12	1000
Fiesta Burrito-Steak	370	12	1020
Supreme Chicken	300	13	530
Supreme Steak	300	14	550
Nacho Cheese Chicken	290	13	690
Cheesy Crunch	560	33	980
Tostada	250	12	640
Taco Salad w/Salsa	850	52	2250
Taco Salad w/o Shell	400	22	1510
Cheese Quesadilla	490	28	1080
Mexican Pizza	540	35	1040
Nachos	320	18	560
Nachos Bell Grande	760	39	1300
Pintos ‘n Cheese	180	8	640
Mexican Rice	190	9	750
Cinnamon Twists	150	5	190

 

SUBWAY ITEMS	CALORIES	FAT	SODIUM
Info. for 6″ sandwich (w/o cheese or condiments)
Veggie Delite	200	3	500
Turkey Breast	254	4	1000
Roast Beef	264	5	840
Ham	261	5	1260
Tuna	419	21	1180
Caesar Italian BMT	530	31	1840
Southwest Chicken	362	13	960
Meatball	501	25	1350
Wraps:
Asiago Caesar Chicken	413	15	1320
Turkey & Bacon	321	7	1510
Salads w/ Fat-free Dressing:
Veggie Delite Salad	50	1	310
Subway Club Salad	145	4	1070
Roasted Chicken Breast	137	3	730

Baby Boomers – You Need To Know What Nitric Oxide Does…

Nitric Oxide is a free form of gas produced by the cells in our body. Symbolized as ‘NO’, Nitric Oxide contains one atom of Nitrogen and one of Oxygen. It is produced when enzymes in the body break down the amino acid Arginine, and is mainly used for intra-cellular communication. So, read on if you are a Baby Boomer to discover why I say that this is one of the greatest discoveries in the Anti-Aging world!

Nitric Oxide is required for key physiological functions within our body. It travels freely from one cell to another assisting in a variety of biological functions. Depending on the requirement, Nitric Oxide can act as a hormone, a neurotransmitter and an intracellular messenger.

As mentioned earlier, Nitric Oxide is crucial for a variety of body functions, and it is essential that the cells produce adequate amount of this gas within our bodies. Body builders or those who perform rigorous physical activities need a higher amount of NO, as it allows for an increase in blood flow while building muscles. Signs of NO deficiency include extreme fatigue and physical weakness.

Nitric Oxide is neither a mineral nor a Vitamin, but a biological gas that is produced within the body and assists in a variety of physiological functions. It is useful in treating a variety of conditions such as insomnia, obesity, diabetes and sexual problems. It is because of these abilities that NO is touted to be the next miracle cure on the shelf.

Benefits of Nitric Oxide – A Closer Look

• Blood Circulation – Nitric Oxide regulates blood circulation throughout the body, increases the diameter of blood vessels and prevents formation of clots. It assists the endothelial cells in controlling and relaxing blood vessels. Nitric Oxide supplements can also boost the oxygen levels within your body, reduce blood pressure levels and keep your heart healthy and functioning optimally.

• Immune System – The Immune cells within our body release Nitric Oxide to destroy bacteria, virus and other harmful foreign elements that can cause an infection. The quality of blood cells in the bone marrow, the immunity-boosting cells and the muscle cells is enhanced with Nitric Oxide supplements. NO is also known to prevent tumor and cancerous growths within the body cells.

• Endurance level – Nitric Oxide increases the endurance level of the muscle cells, enabling you to lift heavier load and perform strenuous activities with ease. This is again one of the major reasons why body builders consider Nitric Oxide supplementation extremely beneficial.

• Increases Alertness – Nitric Oxide acts as an intracellular messenger between various cells in the body, including the nerve cells. With adequate amount of NO present in the body, the communication between nerve cells is faster, leading to quick responses and an increase in focus and vigilance.

• Increases Sexual Energy – One of the most popular benefits of Nitric Oxide is that it stimulates, invigorates and amplifies the sexual response mechanism within the body. Sensory and mental stimulation causes the nerve cells to release nitric oxide. This causes the penis muscles to relax, allowing blood to flow into the penis and create an erection. The process remains the same for women too, as blood flow increases in their vaginal tissues. This is how Loss of Libido, lack of sexual energy etc can be easily treated with nitric oxide supplementation.

• Pain Relief – Nitric Oxide supplementation can provide long-term relief from the pain associated with arthritis and joint inflammation. This is because it activates the anti-inflammatory mechanism within the body cells, and helps in reducing inflammation.

• Increases Muscle Mass – Nitric Oxide supplements widen the blood channels that lead to skeletal muscles, allowing for better blood flow and an increase in the lean muscle mass. With an increase in blood flow, the amount of nutrients available for the muscles is more, which again contributes toward increasing their size.

• Better Intra-cellular Communication – Nitric Oxide improves the process of communication between various cells in the body, including the nerve and the brain cells. Nitric Oxide supplementation is therefore extremely beneficial for enhancing memory, learning abilities and concentration levels. It also aids in treating various disorders especially insomnia and gastrointestinal ailments.

In addition to all of these benefits, Nitric Oxide is also a rich source of essential nutrients such as B-sitosterol, ursolic, ghycosides, plant sterols and anthrquinoidenes. It is also rich in Zinc, Calcium, Potassium, Iron and Vitamin A and C.

Nitric Oxide supplementation can help everyone, but it is especially beneficial for the Baby Boomer population. The reason behind this is simple: when you are young, your muscles, body cells and tissues are also in their prime – quick and efficient at releasing and producing enough Nitric Oxide to carry out different bodily processes.

However, as you grow old, your muscles become weaker and the response mechanism of your nerve cells also drops. It is then that you need Nitric Oxide supplements to boost your cellular activity, increase muscle mass, enhance strength and stamina, and improve your sexual performance.

But be careful about the dosage – Nitric Oxide supplements contain amino acids which if taken in excess, can lead to diarrhea, nausea and fatigue. With that caveat issued, it is safe to say that NO oxide can help you in more ways than you can think of.

Whatever health problems you may be suffering from – neural, immune system related or gastrointestinal, or sexually, there is a good chance that Nitric Oxide supplementation can help you. With adequate amount of NO in your body, you will be able to function and operate in an effective way.

The following product will give you the synergistic blend of L-arginine and nitric oxide. Learn more about the supplement that I recommend to my Baby Boomer patients by clicking here 

CEO Compensation & It’s Relationship To The Skyrocketing Cost Of Health Care…

Executives in the top spots at the country’s five largest publicly traded health plans were paid a collective $110 million for their services in 2011. In a time when our Healthcare System has found itself under the full control of the Health Insurance industry, healthcare providers are no longer in charge of the True Health of this wonderful nation. Controlling all aspects of what the insured must do and the hoops which providers must jump through, the insurance industry with all its accountants, lawyers, executives and stock holders are sucking the life out of our Healthcare system as we knew it 25 years ago.

While America’s families struggled with skyrocketing health insurance costs and the worst economy since the Great Depression, chief executives of the 10 largest for-profit health insurance companies collected total pay of $163.6 million, averaging over $16 million per CEO in 2011. (these are the most recent figures available to date)

“The insurance companies are driven by perverse incentives that reward CEO’s for imposing devastating rate hikes on families and businesses while denying care to people when they need it most,” said HCAN Executive Director Ethan Rome.  “It’s indefensible that CEO’s in America are profiting by gouging customers in such a shameless way.”

Statistics have shown as much as 83% of all healthcare dollars spent on health insurance is directed to administrative costs with the remaining 17% spent on the true caring of health. If you were to know that the cost of health insurance is factored into the escalating cost of healthcare rather than just the cost of caring for health, you’d be as upset about our current system as I am!!!

Below are the figures of the Shameless Gougers of our Healthcare System:

There is a system currently being brought to life that will finally make sense of this Healthcare market which will put the decision making power back into the hands that truly care about your Health…contact me for further info@ blkmorrison@gmail.com 

For The Love Of Coffee…

Caffeine — it’s the world’s most popular drug. People drink it with alcohol to ramp up the effect. They drink it after alcohol to sober up. They take it to get rid of headaches, cure cancer, and prevent Parkinson’s. Then again, most are looking to put warning labels on any product that contains added caffeine. So what gives — is caffeine saint or sinner, miracle drug or a self induced nightmare?

The devil, as usual when it comes to natural substances, lies in the details. And that’s what we’re going to explore in this article, the truth behind caffeine.

As Previously stated, Caffeine is the #1 used (or abused) DRUG in the world and is part of everyone’s daily life-style. It has gone unnoticed as a potentially harmful substance to most people’s health – especially if you’re over the age of 35 and you’re worried about heart disease, joint pain, anxiety, depression, and/or diabetes. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It’s consumed by up to 90% of people in the world in one form or another, but mostly in beverages. It is a naturally occurring substance found in plants like cocoa beans, tea leaves, and kola nuts.

Daily usage, let alone multiple cups, as well as higher dosed caffeinated products such as Espresso’s, Energy Drinks, and Weight Loss + Energy pills – have NUMEROUS long-term negative effects because of caffeine build up.

Below are the Top 10 Caffeine Related Problems. Please read them carefully and see what improvements you could make in your own lifestyle & future health picture.

1. Cardiovascular Problems(heart disease, strokes and blood pressure) Caffeine increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure, and can contribute to the development of heart disease. This means an increase chance of heart attacks and strokes. Both decaf and regular coffee increase your cholesterol and homocysteine, the biochemical indicators that is linked to increased risk for heart attacks. Caffeine is also linked to coronary vasospasms, the cause for 20% of all fatal heart attacks, which kill otherwise perfectly healthy people.
2. Stress(physical, emotional and a rise in stress hormones such as cortisol) Caffeine stimulates and increases the excretion of stress hormones, such as Cortisol and other negative adrenal hormones. This produces increased levels of anxiety, irritability, muscular tension and pain, indigestion, insomnia, and decreased immune function (leading to sickness). Increased levels of stress from caffeine can keep you from being able to make healthy responses to the normal daily stress everyone is subjected to in their lives. Hence, you’re NOT able to deal with stress as well.
3. Emotional Disturbances(anxiety, panic attacks, and irritability) Anxiety and irritability are primary mood disturbances associated with caffeine consumption, but equally important is depression and attention disorders. Depression may occur as part of the let down (withdrawals) after the stimulant effects of caffeine wears off. This tends to happen through out the day due to caffeine’s short half life. Hence, why you drink multiple cups of coffee or caffeinated beverages through out the day. Your body “needs” the caffeine boost in order to survive and feel “normal”. Additionally, the depression may also appear during the recovery period after quitting caffeine while the brain’s chemistry is readjusted (this usually takes 3-10 days before your body “normalizes” and feels “human” again). Caffeine, rather than increasing mental activity actually decreases blood flow to the brain by as much as 30% and negatively effects memory and mental performance. Just like any drug, caffeine has negative withdrawals when you attempt to get off or even reduce your consumption. The above mentioned emotional disturbances, coupled with physical weakness and fatigue – adding to it horrible headaches – is one reason many people never stay off caffeine. It’s just too difficult to quit and because it’s readily available and acceptable for daily use, no one tries to quit.
4. Blood Sugar & Insulin Problems(hypoglycemia, high insulin, etc.) Diabetics and people who tend to have low-blood sugar (hypoglycemia) should avoid caffeine because it stimulates a temporary surge in blood sugar, which is then followed by an overproduction of insulin that causes a blood sugar crash within hours. This low blood sugar makes you feel tired, fatigued and crave carbohydrates and sugary type of foods. If you’re trying to loose weight, this rollercoaster will actually cause weight gain, since insulin’s message to the body is to store excess sugar and food as body fat (around the legs, stomach, etc.). The other problem is if you’re pre-diabetic, diabetic and/or have a family history of it – caffeine makes things MUCH worse and you have to adjust your medication accordingly – on a day to day basis due to all the fluctuations and “rollercoaster” problems with your blood sugar because of the caffeine. Additionally, almost all caffeinated beverages contain calories and sugars – this again adds to the problem and makes many people gain fat (yes, even diet “no calorie” sodas have this effect!)
5. Gastrointestinal Problems(stomach, heart burn, acid reflux, indigestion) Many people experience a burning sensation in their stomach after drinking coffee because coffee increases the secretion of hydrochloric acid leading to an increased risk for ulcers. Granted, it’s mild, goes unnoticed and people simply get use to this “mild discomfort” over the years and think it’s normal. Coffee, including decaf, reduces the pressure on the valve between the esophagus and the stomach, so that the highly acidic contents of the stomach pass up to the esophagus leading to heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease. With America’s high consumption of coffee, its no wonder the best selling over-the-counter drugs are the so-called antacids.
6. Nutritional Deficiencies(vitamins, minerals, etc.) Caffeine inhibits the absorption of some nutrients and causes the urinary excretion of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and trace minerals, all essential elements necessary for good health – especially your bones. This is one major reason for people having osteoporosis, joint problems and getting shorter as we age – less calcium absorption!
7. Male Health Problems(urinary, prostate, BPH) Even though caffeine acts as a diuretic, it causes problems and prostate growth (PBH). Hence, if you are getting up to pee a few times a night, cutting out the caffeine will definitely help your prostate and you’ll sleep better too!
8. Female Problems(PMS, cysts, osteoporosis, etc.) Fibrocystic breast disease, PMS, osteoporosis, infertility problems, miscarriage, low birth weight infants, and menopausal problems such as hot flashes are all exacerbated by caffeine consumption. Women on birth control pills are particularly at risk because they have a decreased ability to detoxify caffeine. Additionally, caffeine has been shown to cause cysts in breast tissue. As discussed in #6 above, caffeine prevents the absorption of certain nutrients – two main ones being calcium and magnesium. BOTH of these minerals are extremely important for maintaining healthy bones and teeth, while preventing osteoporosis (especially in women and more so if you’re post menopausal).
9. Adrenal Exhaustion(fatigue, muscle weakness, sleepy) Caffeine consumption leads to eventual adrenal exhaustion, which can leave you vulnerable to a variety of health disorders related to inflammation, autoimmunity, colds and flues, and fatigue. Basically, your adrenal glands help create “adrenal”, in addition to a numerous other very important anti-aging hormones. When we are under stress (physical and/or emotional), our adrenal glands work over time to help us cope with life’s stresses. But, when you are using caffeine, your adrenal glands are already depleted. In fact, caffeine has REPLACED some of the adrenal’s functions. Similar to a car running on an empty gas tank. Hence, because of this adrenal exhaustion due to caffeine – your body is in a “weak” state and any additional pressures and stresses affect you much quicker. Irritability, muscle fatigue, anger, fat again are all related to adrenal exhaustion and the caffeine is making it worse!
10. Accelerated Aging(dehydration, skin elasticity, wrinkles, loss of hormones) Many people over the age of 35 and definitely in their 40’s, find that they can no longer tolerate the same level of caffeine consumption, as they could in their twenties and early thirties. The production of DHEA, melatonin, and other hormones start to decline and caffeine accelerates that downhill drop & makes you age faster. As discussed earlier, caffeine is also a diuretic. It dehydrates the body of water and contributes to the aging of the skin and kidneys. It has been shown to inhibit DNA repair and slow the ability of the liver to detoxify foreign toxins. The kidneys and liver are very important organs needed for your longevity, detoxification, regeneration of cells, creation of hormones, metabolism of foods and nutrients and so many other vital duties.

Well, there you have it – 10 important reasons to AVOID caffeine and caffeinated products, pills and beverages. Yes, ONCE in a while, a small cup of organic coffee or tea is fine. But daily use, let alone multiple times a day is NOT good for your physical or emotional health – especially longterm usage.
If you tend to “abuse” caffeine and are a bit addicted (hence, daily usage, multiple times), my suggestion is to slowly reduce your dependency. For example, if you are having 4 cups of coffee daily, slowly lower it by HALF a cup each week until you are completely off.

Drugs That Gobble Vitamins…

Below is a list of some of the more popular drugs that are or have recently been on the market and the vitamins & minerals that they are known to deplete from the body. This information is from the physicians desk reference.

It should be noted that this is in no way a recommendation to stop the medication that you are currently taking but to be aware of the bodies depletion of the above vitamins & or minerals with certain medications. Rather it is intended to enhance the communication between you and your healthcare professional as it pertains to your overall health picture.

Do You Know The Eight Drugs Doctors Would Never Take??? You Should!!!

Would doctors take the medications they prescribe to their patients? Not necessarily, as it was reported in a recent article in Men′s Health, June 22, 2008. A number of physicians were asked which drugs they themselves would refuse to take.

And it may surprise you especially if you are currently taking one of these drugs, but here is their list:

• Asthma drug Advair
• Diabetes drug Avandia
• Pain reliever Celebrex (a relative of the infamous Voixx)
• Antibiotic Ketek
• Heartburn medication Prilosec
• Heartburn medication Nexium
• Eye drops Visine Original
• Decongestant Pseudoephedrin

The doctors questioned also suggested alternative treatments. Unfortunately, all they could come up with were other drugs! You have to understand that is all they are trained in at medical school…You can find their recommendations in the original article in Men’s Health.

Here is a portion of a commentary by Dr. Mercola on this very subject:

“Seemingly positive and helpful articles like these really highlight how pervasive the conventional drug culture is. Although these drugs are exposed as being dangerous and best avoided at all costs, the writer failed miserably in providing ′healthier′ alternatives; in all cases but two, merely citing alternative drug treatments …”

Actually it was the doctors who failed miserably; the writer just quoted the doctors′ recommendations. Mercola then goes on to comment on three of the drugs on this list — the asthma, diabetes and heartburn/acid reflux medications — and suggests non-pharmaceutical alternatives. This would be a good time for me to restrict my own comments to Avandia. But it should be mentioned that there is a reason lawyers are targeting people who have had adverse reactions to this drug.

In May of 2007 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety alert on Avandia:

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is aware of a potential safety issue related to Avandia (rosiglitazone), a drug approved to treat type 2 diabetes …”

The agency goes on to say that safety data from some controlled clinical trials showed a potential increase in the risk of heart attacks, but other data provided contradictory evidence. The agency then issues this warning to patients on Avandia:

“Patients who are taking Avandia, especially those who are known to have underlying heart disease or who are at high risk of heart attack should talk to their doctor about this new information as they evaluate the available treatment options for their type 2 diabetes.”

Why didn′t the FDA just mandate the removal of the drug from the market?

“FDA′s analyses are ongoing. FDA has not confirmed the clinical significance of the reported increased risk in the context of other studies. Pending questions include whether the other approved treatment from the same class of drugs, pioglitazone, has less, the same or greater risks. Furthermore, there is inherent risk associated with switching patients with diabetes from one treatment to another even in the absence of specific risks associated with particular treatments. For these reasons, FDA is not asking GlaxoSmithKline, the drug′s sponsor, to take any specific action at this time.”

If changing treatments poses such a significant health risk, why advise patients to talk to their doctors about their available treatment options, i.e. about switching drugs? And exactly what was the information available to the agency that made it so difficult for them to make a decision?

“Recently, the manufacturer of Avandia (GlaxoSmithKline) provided FDA with a pooled analysis (meta analysis) of 42 randomized, controlled clinical trials in which Avandia was compared to either placebo or other anti-diabetic therapies in patients with type 2 diabetes. The pooled analysis suggested that patients receiving short-term (most studies were 6 months duration) treatment with Avandia may have a 30-40 percent greater risk of heart attack and other heart-related adverse events than patients treated with placebo or other anti-diabetic therapy. These data, if confirmed, would be of significant concern since patients with diabetes are already at an increased risk of heart disease.”  FDA approval for Avandia was given May 1999 and this safety alert wasn’t issued by the FDA until May of 2007. My question is-What took so long to issue the Risk Warnings of serious cardiovascular complications after most of these studies that were conducted over a short 6 month period of time? It sure is odd that it took 8 years to issue this safety alert, in my opinion!

Of significant concern? Can you imagine a natural health product remaining on the market with a rap sheet like that. Does the pharmaceutical industry control the FDA, or what?

The sad thing about all of this is that type 2 diabetes is considered a life style disease that is both preventable and reversible. The American Diabetes Association readily admits this:

“People with diabetes have the same nutritional needs as anyone else. Along with exercise and medications (insulin or oral diabetic pills), nutrition is important for good diabetes control. By eating well-balanced meals in the correct amounts, you can keep your blood glucose levels as close to normal (non-diabetic level) as possible.”

Pharmaceutical intervention shouldn′t even be necessary in type 2 diabetes. Yet the drug peddling continues, with the active participation of the medical establishment.

It is a shame that every Healthcare Provider isn’t required by law to learn what Nutraceutical options exist…but we have to remember who has the greatest influence in a medical doctors education and training-it’s not the nutraceutical companies!

What Do Doctors Think Of Dietary Supplements???

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a trade association representing the dietary supplement industry, conducted a couple of surveys among health care professionals to find out. What they discovered was that dietary supplement use was just as common among health care professionals as among the general public. However there are still some misinformed physicians that still believe that people who take multivitamin supplements are probably just wasting their money and boosting the profits of vitamin companies… They are the same doctors that believe that in our society of highly processed, genetically modified and fortified foods, we can obtain all the nutrients we need. This thinking in my opinion is so far from reality it isn’t worth repeating!

The first CRN survey, conducted in 2007, questioned 900 physicians and 277 nurses about their thoughts on dietary supplements. The survey revealed that 51% of the doctors and 59% of the nurses took dietary supplements regularly, comparable to supplement use in the general population. 79% of the physicians and 82% of the nurses also recommended dietary supplements to their patients, whether they themselves took supplements or not. The list of supplements taken and recommended included things like fish oils, in addition to vitamins and minerals and antioxidants.

 
The second CRN survey, released in 2008, questioned around 1200 orthopedic specialists, cardiologists and dermatologists. Among the orthopedic specialists 73% took supplements themselves; 94% of those who took supplements also recommended them to their patients. For the cardiologists surveyed those figures were 57% and 86%, and for the dermatologists 75% and 79%. Even many of the doctors who did not take dietary supplements still recommended them to their patients.

The doctors and nurses surveyed may not be nutrition experts, but they see the extent and consequences of poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles in their medical practices; they just have to look at their patients′ expanding waistlines. How do you get obese on a “balanced diet”? Given the shear number of the overweight and the obese, how could most people possibly get all the micro-nutrients they need from the food they eat?

In 2007 investigators from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examined the dietary habits of about 100,000 high school students to find out how many ate the recommended two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables per day. The results of the survey, released just recently, were sobering. Only 32% got two daily servings of fruit and only 13% the recommended three servings of vegetable. Less than one in ten high school students surveyed ate enough of both. The adults questioned in the same survey didn′t do much better. So much for the balanced diet.

Lets have the Independent Vitamin Safety Review Panel, a group of physicians, academics and researchers, have the last word on this subject:

“In the past, over-conservative government-sponsored standards have encouraged dietary complacency. People have been led to believe that they can get all the nutrients they need from a ‘balanced diet’ of processed foods. That is not true. For adequate vitamin and mineral intake, a diet of unprocessed, whole foods, along with the intelligent use of nutritional supplements, is more than just a good idea: it is essential.”

Do You Know What Margarine Was Designed For??? You Butter!!!

This may be the most interesting thing you learn all week…

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. But when it killed the turkeys, those who had put all the money into this research wanted a return on their investment so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product. It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to unsuspecting people to use in place of butter. How do you like that? They have come out with some clever new flavorings and the Big Food Industry got behind it and once again used their marketing strategies to convince the public, not that it was the same as butter, but that it was Better than butter!

DO YOU KNOW.. The difference between margarine and butter? Read on to the end…gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories. Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to 5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods. Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added! Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods. Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years .

And now, for Margarine.. Very High in Trans fatty acids. Triples risk of coronary heart disease! Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)!
Increases the risk of cancers up to five times…Lowers quality of breast milk…Decreases immune response…Decreases insulin response…

And here’s the most disturbing fact… HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC… and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT.

These facts alone should be enough to have you avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

Open a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not even find a home to grow.

Why? Because it is nearly plastic . Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

So, if this has enlightened you today, please recommend this blog to your friends!

3 MORE TOXIC PRESERVATIVES TO OUR MEATS???

That’s right, be aware of these toxic preservatives being added to your meats!!!  After intense lobbying by Kraft Foods Global Inc. and Kemin Food Technologies, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has agreed to reverse existing regulations that prohibit the use of three toxic meat preservatives. Kraft Foods and Kemin Foods are rapidly bicoming the Monsanto of the Food World!

To read what these 3 preservatives are and how they will create toxic accumulation with in your body, click: http://http://www.naturalnews.com/039792_USDA_meat_preservatives_chemicals.html

Don’t Drink Diet Soda Until You Read This Report…

Each year, Americans consume about 5,250 tons of aspartame in total, of which about 86 percent (4,500 tons) is from the consumption of diet sodas. Diet soda is the largest dietary source of aspartame  in the U.S. A study recently published at the beginning of December 2012 links the consumption of Aspartame to increased risk of Lymphoma and Leukemia. As few as one diet soda daily may increase the risk for leukemia in men and women dramatically. The study was conducted by the Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA and Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA. The study was a follow up after a 22 year period of data collection including health frequent dietary and health check ups of the study group.

Click here to read the full study…