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Cell Phone Dangerous!

In my opinion, it is not the act of talking on...

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I appreciate one of Oprah’s projects which is to basically ban cell phone texting while driving. Texting while driving is dangerous. And so is talking on the phone while driving unless you have a headset or use the car’s stereo system. Get this however! It’s dangerous to place the cell phone against your head while talking. Apparently, there are cell phones that give off high levels of radiation. And of course, excess radiation causes free radical formation. Free radicals in turn causes DNA damage and abnormal cell formation. If this happens in the brain area, you could potentially get brain cancer. There is still some debate in the scientific community whether this could really happen. It’s better to err on the side of caution and take preventive measures to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure. Anyway, in a surprising first in the US, San Francisco my beloved US home city is passing a bill that requires cell phone retailers to post the amount of radiation emitted by cell phones they are selling. Fortunately, there are tools available that can actually neutralize the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation. I’ve been using these tools for years and they’re very popular in Japan and Germany. Interestingly enough, they’re manufactured right in our own backyard in Santa Rosa, California. Check out http://www.wholehealthworldwide.com for more info.

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The Karate Kid

Medicines in a Chinese pharmacy in Seattle.

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Yes, I saw it on the opening weekend! It was actually better than I expected. Anyway, it’s interesting how the movie incorporated some aspects of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), primarily moxibustion. I don’t do this procedure in my practice but have referred clients to TCM practitioners. This traditional form of medicine has been practiced for over 5,000 years and is being used as primary health care by more than half of the world’s population. Moxibustion involves the burning of an herb called mugwort. It is useful for treating a variety of conditions such as aches and pains, colds and flu, and even poor digestion. Sounds like a Harry Potter movie, huh? Anyway, it does work and I encourage people to try other alternative forms of treatment once in a while.

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Breast Alert! Women Beware…..

the international RADURA-logo

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Annual breast radiation ain’t hot! Yup, you read it right. That’s what you call the standard procedure used to screen for tumors in the breasts. More benignly called “mammograms”, the procedure actually involves the use of ionizing radiation. And what does ionizing radiation do? It damages the DNA, causes cell mutation and voila, tumor formation. The studies are found in prestigious journals such as the Archives of Internal Medicine, as mentioned in NaturalNews.com. There are other ways to screen for breast tumors. Besides self-breast exams, other procedures include breast thermography, ultrasound or even MRI. What things can one do to prevent problems in the breasts anyway? Simple things such as going bra-less at night, wearing bras without metal wires, avoiding the use of anti-perspirants, intake of cruciferous vegetables, avoiding environmental toxins (such as xenoestrogens from plastic containers since they accumulate in fatty tissues such as the breasts) and regular detox. So, smart up women (and that goes for men too)! Be informed! Ask questions!

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No More Shopping….

Thin plastic shopping bags

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…in plastic bags, that is. In an interesting article on AOL News, it stated that California may be the first state in the nation to totally ban plastic bags. San Francisco enacted a decree banning plastic bags a couple of years ago. Anyway, it’s about time that plastic bags are banned altogether because as environmentalists and anti-littering advocates say, they are unnecessary, unsightly and dangerous to wildlife. More importantly, plastic gives off chemicals that act as hormone-disruptors in the body, otherwise known as xenoestrogens. We are seeing a lot of hormonal imbalances as early as the pre-teen years because of the environmental toxins that are all around us. Thank goodness, people are now becoming more aware of how the environment influences our planetary and personal health. The use of paper bags however, may not be the best solution. It takes 14 million trees to create 10 billion paper bags, according to the article. The solution is to use recyclable bags or better yet, a Y3 tote bag (or your favorite designer bag) when shopping. Fortunately, there are different ways to detoxify the body of the harmful chemicals that come from plastic. Among these include the use of an infra-red sauna and if this is not available in your area, make sure that you do sweat regularly (through exercise, using a sweat lodge, dry sauna or steam bath). Another way to detox the body of xenoestrogens is through the intake of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower or my favorite, bok choy. This can be accomplished through supplements such as Calcium D-glucarate or glutathione as well.

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What A Hot Oily Mess!

Alternative Energy Galore

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Finally, I’m making a comment about the oil spill that’s happening in the Gulf of Mexico. What does this have to do with health in general? A lot! What’s happening is an environmental disaster of epic proportions (not trying to be dramatic here). It’s going to affect everything up the food chain eventually. What strikes me as odd is the way the emergency response has been all this time. The “topkill” solution didn’t make any sense at all. It’s like putting a band aid on a gushing wound hoping that by some miracle, it’s going to stop. Hello? This is a good example of treating the symptom, rather than addressing the root of the problem. We need to end our dependence on oil (not just foreign oil). There are a lot of alternative energy sources out there that we haven’t tapped as extensively as we could (like geothermal, hydroelectric or solar; not a fan of nuclear though). As far as our personal health is concerned, we also need to find out the root causes of symptoms, rather than just treating the symptoms alone. A good example is that of high blood pressure. Diet, exercise, weight loss, herbs and medications do help. But, we need to find out whether factors like nutrient deficiencies, stress, heavy metal toxicity or hormonal imbalance play a role in the situation.

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Sex and the City

Cover of "Sex and the City: The Movie - E...

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You got it right! It’s the opening weekend of one of the more anticipated movies in 2010. The first movie (shown back in 2007), for those of you not in the know, is about 4 women who are now in their perimenopausal years . It’s nice to see these fictitious women go through this stage with flying colors, practically free from distressing symptoms. In real life however, we’re seeing a lot of symptoms associated with the hormonal changes that accompany perimenopause/menopause. These include anxiety, depression, hot flashes, night sweats, menstrual changes, vaginal dryness, low libido and more. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to relieve these symptoms. Medical aromatherapy, herbal and homeopathic medicines, acupuncture and other modalities have been used by holistic practitioners all over the world. In my practice, we use bioidentical hormones to help women (and men) age well. Bioidentical hormones are hormones that have the exact same structure as what our bodies produce. There are commercial and compounded preparations available by prescription. The goal is to bring about balance in hormones to help us age well.

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A Chocolate A Day…….

….may keep the doctor at bay. Interesting thought, huh? When I say doctor though, I meant staying away from someone who’s always ready to prescribe medications for any ailment. You may want to work with a doctor (originally derived from Latin word “doctoris” meaning teacher, by the way) who actually works in partnership with you and is open-minded to other forms of healing. As far as chocolate is concerned, I’m referring to cocoa and/or organic, unrefined, dark chocolate and not the milk chocolate variety (lots of sugar and saturated fat). It has been found out in numerous studies that the polyphenols found in cocoa (as well as tea and blueberries) help improve endothelial function therefore preventing atherosclerosis. They also combat free radicals thus proving to be one of the best nutrients to use for anti-aging purposes. A French study showed that people greater than 65 years old with a diet rich in these bioflavonoids had less cognitive decline over a 10 year period. There’s also a Finnish study of more than 1,000 men in which a high polyphenol diet was linked to healthier arteries. More clinical studies (even double blind studies required by the authorities here) are found in Life Extension magazine. Ever wonder why cocoa is considered “food of the gods” (named “Theobroma cacao” by botanist Linnaeus) in the Aztec culture?

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Cholesterol: Essential For Life

Statins are a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol. It is a synthetic substance and just like any medication, it could cause side effects in people whose detoxification mechanisms are not properly functioning (esp. older folks) or in those who have a genetic predisposition to not metabolize the drug properly. In a recent article on BBC News entitled “Unintended statin side-effect uncovered”, it mentions side effects like liver problems, muscle weakness, cataracts and kidney failure with chronic use of statins. The University of Nottingham researchers were quick to add that the benefits of statins far outweighed the risks for many people, but “the findings would help weigh up the pros and cons in each patient.” My say on this is that we’re all different. A “one-size-fits-all” approach would never, ever, work. What may be helpful for one person may not work for another. There is a concept called “biochemical individuality”, meaning that every one is unique and therefore, should be treated so. Cholesterol by the way, is not all bad. We need cholesterol for healthy cell membranes and it is the parent molecule for sex hormones and adrenal hormones. This is basic science!

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Sunscreen, anyone?

In a recent health news article on AOL, it was found out that the almost half of the sunscreens sold over the counter could actually cause malignant cell formation because of vitamin A and it’s derivatives. AOL News apparently learned through documents and interviews that the authorities have known of the potential danger for more than a decade, without warning the public. My take on this is that first off, we’re not made to lay under the sun for hours on end. Secondly, synthetic vitamins could cause more harm long-term based on most studies. Isolate something from nature and it behaves like a drug. Last but not least, synthetic, petroleum-based products applied on the skin and then exposed to the strong rays of the sun is a recipe for disaster. Sunscreens may protect against sunburn (which is the body’s natural reaction to the strong rays of the sun) but would it protect against skin cancer formation?

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Is Aging a Disease?

This is the topic at a conference on aging held in London last week called “Turning Back The Clock.” The topic I think is more than a decade too late. The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine has been advocating anti-aging therapeutics for more than a decade now. I guess it’s better late than never, huh? Anyway, if you read the article further, the experts recommend taking a different approach to this biological process, one that recommends it as a condition that can be manipulated, treated and delayed. It further recommends the search for drugs that treat multiple illnesses at the same time. Sounds good, huh. Honestly though, this approach of just looking for drugs to “treat” aging won’t yield optimal results. We need to look at the basic issues that contribute to aging and address those. Factors such as nutritional deficiencies, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, chronic inflammation, toxicity and hormonal imbalances are among the basic things that need to be addressed. Treating the root causes of disease rather than just treating symptoms yield far better results. As far as what armaments to use in the “fight against aging”, we need to look at nutrition, nutraceuticals, natural hormones, gene therapy, homeopathy, detoxification treatments and other modalities along with pharmaceutical agents. A holistic approach to aging is the way to go.

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