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I hope you don’t mind, but I have a favor to ask of you.
See, over the last few weeks, I have had many of you, my friends, neighbors and followers through Facebook, Chatterbox and Twitter, express wonderful notes of kindness during my own recent life struggles with aging and ill parents as well as young adult children.
It seems there are a lot of us in the same boat these days.
So many of you have written and told me about the same stresses, struggles and rewards you have experienced as you have had to take care of everyone else in your family while trying to take care of yourself.
It made me realize how much we all have in common and how hard it is to try and live this journey called life without support from and for each other.
I was able to look back and be grateful for the healing journey of my own life and how it had prepared me for the difficult times I have had to experience.
It got me to thinking about the beauty of helping each other walk that journey together. It also made me realize how hard it can be to travel these roads without others who have been there before to support, counsel and encourage us.
So I wanted to give something back to everyone who has been so giving to me. I wanted to create a way to give sound, practical advice on a regular basis to you, my friends, followers and neighbors, on how to implement the very strategies that have been so important in helping me heal my own life as well as those that I love.
I decided to create a survey to ask you what type of support you are interested in as you journey through life and attempt to care for yourself and others.
Since I know that feeding the body can ultimately feed the soul, I wanted to know how I could help nourish you by sharing some of the practical applications of creating healthy eating habits.
So I put together this quick survey to check in with you and find out what you are interested in around using nutrition to HEALthy SELF.
It shouldn’t take more than about 3-5 minutes to complete. Once the survey is completed, I can craft a program designed especially for what you, friends, neighbors and followers, really need and want.
So, would you take a few minutes and answer a few questions in order to help me help you? Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing from each of you.
Your feedback is truly valuable to me. I’ll keep you in the know about the results.
Sincerely,
Dr. Pam
thenaturalmd@the-natural-md.com
I’ve been reading a fascinating book this week – The End of Food – written by Paul Roberts. It tells the story of the evolution of our modern food chain, especially in regards to the food industry itself. What surprised me the most was the evolution of the family farm.
Having been raised on a farm myself in the 50’s and 60’s in West Texas, I remember my mother’s stories about her own childhood on the farm. She recounted tales of raising chickens, hogs, cattle and food crops for their own subsistence. I remember my grandmother’s summer ritual of canning and freezing the garden produce to last the winter.
However, by the time my own mother became a farm wife, life had changed dramatically. This was the early 60’s and farmers were beginning to grow more crops of single entities such as corn and soybeans and raised fewer animals for their own use. A family garden was still planted but the main cash crops were destined for massive distribution. Fertilizers, chemicals and large heavy machinery were needed to maximize per acre yield. The small farmer often had to take a second job in town to make financial ends meet. Many simply sold the family farm and moved to the city to start life anew. That was exactly what happened for my mother and father. My childhood on the family farm was interrupted forever.
I encourage you to read this thought-provoking book. It tells how we got to the point we are today with large corporations dominating the food supply and where we will go as the world population continues to grow. Land, water and natural resources are quickly being consumed as climates dramatically change. All the while, we need to feed a planet. Paul Roberts offers some insights and suggestions that may help us survive if we are able to restore our connection to the land and the very food that sustains us.
Do you have any memories of the farm? Have you read the book? What do you think? Leave a comment, I’d really like to know!
Warmly,
Dr. Pam
For more information, go to www.the-natural-md.com and sign-up for my free weekly newsletter, “Natural Solutions, Natural You!”
The following is a great article written by my good friend Dianne Gregg. Dianne had her own experience with a life-threatening reaction to soy and has subsequently been on a mission to educate the world about “The Hidden Dangers of Soy”.
5 Simple and Quick Tips for Substituting Soy
By Dianne Gregg
The Hidden Dangers of Soy
In today’s market 60% of the food commericaily available contains some form of soy. Consumers need to know where the soy is hidden in such common items as prepared frozen foods, sauces, seasoning mixes and salad dressings. Here are five quick and simple substitutes for products containing soy.
To signup for a free newsletter, to get a white paper filled with soy free recipes or to download a free chapter from the book The Hidden Dangers of Soy go to: www.hiddensoy.com/soy-health-risks.php
THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF SOY by Dianne Gregg
Author Dianne Gregg
1. What inspired you to write this book?
For eight years I complained to doctors that I was always nauseous, bloated, and gaining weight. The physicians I consulted said weight gain was normal at my age and not to compare myself to 30 year olds. I told the doctor – “I know my body, and something’s wrong.”
One night I had a soy burger for dinner. The next morning I was rushed to the hospital because I thought I was having a heart attack. I went into anaphylactic shock and nearly died in the ER. After four days in the intensive care unit, the medical team diagnosed food poisoning. I didn’t agree. By now, I weighed 150lbs up from 118.
On my husband’s hunch I looked up soy allergy on the Internet and had almost every symptom listed. The scary thing is, if I had died in the emergency room, the doctors would never have known the real cause. After extensive research on soy, I was amazed at what I learned and wanted to get the word out.
2. What type of research did you do for this book?
I spent several months and reviewed over 100 articles and studies on soy from a variety of sources including: The Consumer Health Organization, The Weston A. Price Foundation, The Washington Post, Soy Online Service and others.
3. What surprised you the most as you researched the book?
The negative impacts soy can have on children and adults. For example: Certain studies show that soy infant formula can cause zinc deficiency, which is important to the development of the nervous system. In fact, the aluminum content has a toxic effect on the kidneys because the amount is ten times greater than that found in milk-based formula.
In addition, Soy products are goitrogenic and can depress thyroid function in adults. Low thyroid function is associated with a host of debilitating diseases including cancer, heart disease, fatigue, and osteoporosis.
4. What’s the most important message of your book?
If you are not feeling like yourself, and have symptoms such as nausea, bloating, gastric disorders, unusual weight gain, palpitations, shortness of breath, or lack of energy, it’s worth trying to eliminate soy from your diet for a period of time to see if it’s contributing.
Not everyone will have as severe a reaction as I did, but it’s important to be aware of what foods you may be eating that are triggering a change in the way you feel. The elimination of soy is a good place to start.
5. Many people view soy as a “cure-all.” How do you feel about that?
We need to be cautious in considering any food as a miracle food. We hear so many wonderful things about soy, but the possible benefits must be balanced with the risks.
Soy conains high phytoestrogen levels and trypsin inhibitors that can increase the risk for developing thyroid disease, hormonal imbalance, osteoprosis, and may even promote the growth of tumors in cancer survivors.
6. With soy being added to so many U.S. food products, what advice do you have for consumers who are looking to avoid soy, but don’t know where to start?
In today’s market it’s challenging because over 60% of the food commericaily available contains some form of soy. Consumers need to know where the soy is hidden in such common items as prepared frozen foods, sauces, broths, canned soups and salad dressings. Because it’s not always listed as soy. I recommend reading the labels and looking for the following ingredients:
7. What are some of the most serious side effects that can result from consuming soy?
Thyroid disease, infertility, osteoporosis, early puberty, ADHD in children, and the enhanced growth of tumors in cancer survivors are all possible soy side effects. In fact, many oncologists have soy on the “forbidden” list of foods cancer patients can eat.
8. How long did it take you to notice the difference in your health?
Within a month I was feeling better and within eight months had lost 35 pounds, without dieting. To this day, I maintain my normal weight of between 115-118. I believe I accomplished this by just removing one ingredient from my diet – soy!
Could you be allergic to soy? For a quick quiz to go to: TAKE THE SOY QUIZ
To signup for a free newsletter, to get a white paper filled with soy free recipes or to download a free chapter from the book The Hidden Dangers of Soy go to:
The Hidden Dangers of Soy
Many people think of soymilk as a healthy milk substitute but the reality is that soymilk can be bad for you. The fact is that many people can’t digest it and it can cause cramping, nausea, and more serious health problems. Are you are experiencing these symptoms and never considered that it could be related to drinking soymilk?
The soy Industry claims that in Indonesia and China – where soy is a dietary staple – soy consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases. What the industry does not tell you is that in those countries they use a traditional method of preparation known as fermentation. This process is thousands of years old, and destroys the toxins found in unprocessed soy. Tempeh, miso and natto, are fermented products and are all safe. Since the tofu in Asia comes from the pressed “curds” of the soybean, all the toxins are removed.
Soybeans naturally contain toxins meant to ward off insect predators and was initially used in Asia to add a layer of protection to the soil. However, the way soymilk is processed in the United States, the toxics are not removed. Here is the Western industrial process of making most soymilk:
They wash the beans in alkaline or boil them in a petroleum-based solvent; bleaching, deodorizing, and pumping them full of additives; heat-blasting and crushing them into flakes; and then mixing them with water to make “milk.” Does this sound healthy to you? They are adding more dangerous chemicals without removing any of the toxins. It’s a quick cheap process, and costs more than milk. Because of this, the effects of Soymilk can include:
• anti-nutrients that prevent your body from absorbing essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc that could lead to osteoporosis.
• enzyme inhibitors make it harder for your body to absorb protein.
• hemagglutinin a substance that can promote blood clots.
• goitrogens can cause gout and thyroid problems.
For those that are lactose intolerant, try Goat, Rice or Almond Milk instead.
Dianne Gregg, author of “The Hidden Dangers of Soy” decided to write this book after developing a severe allergy to soy and nearly dying. She has done extensive research on this subject and wants to share this crucial information with others.
To claim your free chapter of The Hidden Dangers of Soy (including) soy free recipes. http://www.hiddensoy.com/soy-health-risks.php
Listen to Dianne on the radio Tuesdays, 4pm – 5pm EST interviewing experts in the health and wellness industry.
I don’t know about you, but I’m no farmer! I spent my youth on a farm and many a long, hot summer day on the end of a hoe handle in my parent’s gardens. And that was in the day when a garden was canned and frozen to last a full season! But I love fresh whole vegetables. Since the farmer’s market isn’t available every day, I decided to try my hand at some simple vegetable garden without all the hassles. It’s working great and I wanted to share it with you!
Great recipe for fresh tomatoes
Enjoy the yum…
Warmly,
Dr. Pam
Join me for a free weekly newsletter!
Grandma had rheumatism and Grandpa had back pain. Now you have fibromyalgia. Did you ever stop to think you may have inherited your pain? Science has now explained why some of us are predisposed to developing painful conditions while others are not. This is a fascinating look into our genetic underpinnings that may help explain the epidemic of pain that we as a society are suffering. We are living in a phenomenal era. Until recently, our knowledge of human genetics was limited and composed of genetic identification of a relative handful of disease states, such as sickle cell anemia, Down’s syndrome and other devastating diseases.
But in 1989, a new world began to open up. The National Human Genome Research Institute began as the National Center for Human Genome Research (NCHGR). It was established in 1989 to carry out the role of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the International Human Genome Project (HGP). The project was developed in collaboration with the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and given the mission in 1990 to map the human genome, our basic DNA structure as humans. In 1997 the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) renamed NCHGR the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), officially elevating it to the status of a research institute – one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
By April 2003, the entire human genome sequence was completely identified. Scientists around the world now had access to a database that greatly facilitated and accelerated the pace of biomedical research. This human genome project may truly represent the greatest public health project ever undertaken. So much is now known about the human genome that the field of genetics is rapidly emerging as the foundation of much of modern medicine. You might ask, “What role does genetics play in my pain? Isn’t my genetic make-up a permanent feature? Do my genes ever change?” These are valid questions. Let’s take a look at each of them.
The role of genetics in pain is complex. The human genome project has given us more information today than we had in the past. This has allowed us to understand why some of us are predisposed to developing excessive or chronic pain. We now also know that inflammation plays at least some role in many of the conditions which produce pain. We can, therefore, search for certain genetic predispositions towards inflammation and thus, chronic or excessive pain.
In 1866, a monk named Gregor Mendel discovered inherited “factors” that seemed to play a role in the selection of certain traits in common peas. This discovery led to many other investigations. Ultimately, James Watson and Francis Crick made the well-known discovery that resulted in a Nobel Prize for their delineation of the double helix as the primal genetic material of life. This amazing discovery helped us understand many of the confounding inherited diseases such as sickle cell anemia, Down’s syndrome, cystic fibrosis and even some cancers such as breast cancer. These diseases are a result of gross abnormalities of the chromosomes, large collections of DNA found in paired sequences within each of our individual cells.
The human genome project allowed the scientific world to peer deeper into each paired chromosome and analyze each strand of DNA, building block by building block. These building blocks are composed of four purine bases – adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine. They are arranged in an amazing variety of sequences to give the human body its complex series of codes. These codes produce enzymes, proteins, hormones and much more, creating the master plan for your own unique body.
It is deep in the genetic code where scientists have discovered minor small variations that occur on a fairly common basis for some of us, determining how our bodies function in a variety of “less than normal” ways.
These minor variations are called gene SNPs (pronounced snips) or single nucleotide polymorphisms. These SNPs are important to understand for many reasons. Because SNPs produce a wide variation of physiological responses in the body, they are intimately involved in the reason we see wide variations in how individual bodies respond to trauma, injury and common causes of illnesses. Even more importantly, these gene SNPs impact the ways your body absorbs and utilizes nutrition, vitamins, minerals and even synthetic compounds such as pharmaceutical drugs.
So which gene SNPs may be involved in the development of chronic or excessive pain? It appears there may be many. Since inflammation is one component of chronic or excessive pain, then any genetic control of inflammation will impact your tendency to develop chronic or excessive pain. Indeed, there are several genetic variants of common genes known to predispose an individual towards the production of excessive inflammation. In addition, there are known genes that control your body’s ability to neutralize oxidative stress, another source of inflammation. And finally, there are genes that control your body’s ability to detoxify, render toxins harmless and eliminate them. Variants of these particular genes can limit your body’s ability to remove toxins, increasing the tendancy of these toxins to cause damage to DNA, proteins and tissues of your body and produce inflammation in the process. Notice I said “tendency”.
An amazing concept has stood traditional science on its head. The expression of some genes, in fact, can be turned on and off by many factors, including the foods you eat, the supplements you take and the lifestyle you lead. This is a radical discovery. For years, it was believed that our genetic make-up resulted in specific and consistent types of responses in the body. In fact, you may believe you have a genetic destiny based on the genes you have inherited. We now know this isn’t the complete picture.
While some genetic conditions may in fact be our physiological destiny, especially when large variations in chromosomes occur such as Down’s syndrome, far more genetic conditions can be modulated by the lifestyle we choose to lead. This is great news! This means that if you are willing to learn what conditions your genetic constitution predisposes you to develop, you can then create a lifestyle to avoid, modulate or moderate its effect. In particular, with chronic pain, knowing your genetic tendencies around inflammation, antioxidant systems of your body and your detoxification abilities can help explain your particular response to pain as well as give you the nutritional blueprint for improving your pain.
Live Pain Free!
Learn about genetics and pain from my newly published book “Live Pain Free! 6 Steps to a Pain Free Life” and let me know what you think. If you leave a comment below, I plan a surprise gift at the end of the week. And if you have read the book, feel free to leave a comment with feedback below. I welcome it all! Remember, post a comment and get a surprise bonus at the end of the week.
Life is good!
Hi Guys! For those of you new to the blog, thought I would give you an idea about the #1 guy in my life, Raymond. Well, OK maybe not the #1 but pretty high on the list. Raymond is 3/4 Poodle and 1/4 Schitzu but I’ll let you guess which 1/4 that would be! He likes to be photographed so thought I would share a few.
Do you have a pet? Raymond would like some friends!
Warmly,
Dr. Pam
If you like this article, feel free to socially bookmark it!
As young children, our moms insisted that we eat our veggies whether we liked them or not. Then as adults, we incorporated the same standards in serving nutritious food to our children. This is because we all know these foods create better health, including eye health. Yet, you may be one of several million people who require eyeglasses to read this, despite relative good overall health.
Poor vision can be debilitating, especially as we become older. Although there have been many technological advances such as contact lenses, Lasik surgery and even cataract surgery, it is important to understand not all eye disease can be treated and cured. The inability to focus, read, or even drive can have a serious adverse affect on how we live our daily lives. Limited vision can even result in a greater risk of falls in the elderly who are then at great risk of fractures and subsequent complications such as pneumonia and even death. Face it; whether you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, having poor vision limits your capacity to enjoy those things in life which often dgive you the most pleasure.
The good news is that many eye diseases can be prevented if you begin a routine of protecting your vision through a variety of natural mechanisms. First, it’s important to realize that certain vitamins and minerals are important in preserving eye health and good vision. Also known as retinal, Vitamin A promotes better eyesight at multiple levels of eye health. It aids in the prevention of different types of degenerative eye conditions, including macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. In addition, lack of vitamin A can cause problems such as dry eyes and night blindness.
Vitamin A starts out as beta-carotene, one of the family of plant chemicals known as carote- noids, which also includes lutein, zeaxanthin and many others. When we consume vegetables containing beta carotene (dark green leafy types: spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, mustard and collard greens, as well as yellow-orange vegetables like carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, yellow squash, etc.), our bodies convert it to the various other forms of vitamin A called retinols. Some are used for skin and ligament repair, others for transporting enzymes and proteins, and some of it is used in the bio-electrical process of vision. Beta-carotene is also one of the antioxidants which acts as a free-radical scavenger, helping to eliminate damage to the cells within our bodies, especially the rods and cones of the inner eye that perceive light and color.
Vitamin A is found in foods such as eggs, dairy products, fish oils, and vegetables, specifically carrots. To get your essential vitamin A, you can also consume fruits and vegetables that are yellow, green, and orange in color. For example, carrots, sweet potatoes, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, and cantaloupe are all excellent as part of your dietary regimen. They all contain carotenoids which, when digested, are converted into vitamin A. Oh, and don’t forget the spinach!
Vitamin C, E, selenium, copper and zinc are other antioxidants that protect your eye health. These vitamins and minerals are also found in fresh whole foods. However, not everyone can eat large enough quantities of food to impact eye disease once it has already developed. This is when supplementation becomes even more important.
Many supplements are available with large doses of these very vitamins, minerals and bioflavenoids. The problem with most is that the large doses can be hard on the stomach and cause digestive upsets. Why are such large doses necessary? Most of these supplements come in pill or tablet form and are relatively difficult to digest and absorb. Therefore, large doses are necessary to get adequate absorption.
This is where isotonic liquid vitamins are far superior an option to get the maximal absorption of these nutrients with minimal impact on the gastrointestinal tract. Isotonic liquid vitamins have such superior bioabsorption that smaller doses are more than adequate to provide adequate blood levels to protect and improve your eye health. They are immediately absorbed with hardly any impact on the GI tract for causing digestive distress.
Begin your program today of protecting your precious vision. Eat fresh whole foods rich in antioxidants – vitamins, mineral and bioflavonoid. Take isotonic supplements, especially those designed for eye health. Wear your sunglasses with UV protection. Take charge of your eye health so that your eyes will take care of you for many years to come!
If you like this article, please share it and Digg it!
Warmly,
Dr. Pam
www.the-natural-md.com
