Hyvin
A Natural Health and Wellness Blog

Have you seen the articles suggesting that drug companies are “inventing disease” in order sell more drugs and make more money?

I have no evidence to support such a claim, but it’s an interesting line of thought. One example I’ve read about is menopause. It is a normal stage of life for women, and the criticism suggests that it has been “medical-ized,” such that women believe it is a disorder that requires meds and doctor visits.

I’m not yet old enough to have experience with menopause, but I have heard from those who know that it can be miserable. Sooo, perhaps medical intervention may be appropriate, yet I do understand the thought process that it has been too medical-ized. What do you think?

I don’t doubt that disease-awareness campaigns are often funded by drug companies, and this would seem to be a public service, yet there is the element of self-interest that cannot be denied (another criticism I’ve heard).

What has always struck me as blatantly wrong is the reps from the drug companies I see when I’m at the doctor’s office. I’ve seen them bring food and gifts to the staff, and schmooze about all kinds of non-drug related topics — very openly, right in front of the patients. Does that strike anyone else the wrong way?

Fortunately, thanks to my supplement program, my visits to the doctor’s office are rare (even with four kids ), so I’m not exposed to it that often!

Want to lose weight? New research published in the June 2006 Journal of the American Dietetic Asociation suggests that dietary fiber is key.

Found in whole grains, fresh veggies and fruits, and legumes, the foods that contain fiber are just plain good for us.

But fiber also stabilizes blood sugar (which helps control binge eating), makes us feel full (so we eat less), and is typically in lower-calorie foods.

Want to boost your fiber intake? There are some natural fiber supplement choices, and you can even get extra fiber as part of a healthy meal replacement drink, another weapon in the weight war.

The July/August 2006 edition of the Journal of Nutrition reports on recent research demonstrating the heart-healthy effects of vegetable consumption. According to the Reuters Health report of this research:

[Veggies] may thwart the progression of atherosclerosis, a hardening and narrowing of arteries that can lead to heart disease and stroke.

The anti-oxidants in the veggies are believed to be responsible for this health benefit, shown in this research in mice.

So, mice genetically bred to have fast-hardening arteries ate broccoli, green beans, peas, corn, and carrots and had cleaner arteries than the veggie-deprived mice.

I found it very interesting to note that the funding for this study was from General Mills, who makes the Green Giant brand of frozen and canned vegetables.

Now, I’m all for eating veggies as part of a healthy diet, but I am not persuaded to make the jump from this research to believing that I am providing my heart with considerable protection when I spoon in the peas and carrots.

According to the general body of research I’ve seen, the range of protective benefits for humans from antioxidant consumption requires antioxidant amounts far in excess of the average processed veggie of today. I like most vegetables fairly well, but I don’t fancy the prospect of eating mountains of broccoli to get antioxidant heart health.

By neutralizing free radicals, which damage cells throughout the body, antioxidants provide a wide range of health benefits. To be sure I’m getting them in the amounts I need, I’m much more confident in consuming these plant-based nutrients in a reliable, convenient form, like an easy-to-swallow supplement!

The possibility of diabetes prevention using carotenoids becomes even more critical when we consider this recent data from the American Diabetes Association’s 66th Scientific Sessions:

In the past two decades, the number of people with diabetes worldwide has increased from 30 million to 230 million!

The New York Times report of these statistics states:

There are many factors driving the growth in diabetes worldwide, but most experts agree that changes in lifestyle and diet are the chief culprits, in addition to genetic predisposition. As developing countries rapidly industrialize, people tend to do work involving less physical activity. At the same time, the availability of food that is cheap but high in calories becomes more common. The combination causes weight gain, which leads to greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease.

Aargh… we’re doing it to ourselves! Lousy diets, not enough movement… the same old culprits.

I sometimes wonder if future generations will look back on this period in history and shake their heads in disbelief over the ways we killed ourselves.

Reuters Health reports:

For people who don’t smoke, the risk of developing diabetes is lower in those with higher levels of carotenoids in their blood, according to a new report. The effect is not seen in smokers, however.

Carotenoids are fat-soluble phytonutrients (antioxidants occurring in plants that provide protection against free radical cell damage).

This is another good strategy for diabetes prevention and a reminder of the incredibly negative consequences of smoking, which, I would surmise, negate the prevention power of the carotenoids.

These research findings were published last month in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Remember those ads that tout products that make you lose weight in your sleep? You just know it’s too good to be true, but it sounds SO appealing.

Well, while you probably can’t lose weight in your sleep, you may be able to ward off weight gain without even having to buy anything.

Really!

Researchers have found an inverse relationship between amount of sleep and weight gain in women. In other words, those who slept less gained more, and longer sleepers gained less weight.

As if I needed a reason to sleep more!

There was no rationale determined for this association, but we all know how important sleep is. These findings were reported recently at the American Thoracic Society’s International Conference.

So, sleep!!

The New York Times has reported on a couple of health hazards in the everyday environment. There was a lengthy article on the use of phthalates (a family of industrial chemicals) in all kinds of skin care products, nail polish, cosmetics, and various personal care products (even things like shampoos, hair sprays, deodorants).

Health Care Without Harm, a coalition of health, religious, labor, and environmental groups, has been lobbying against phthalates for years. It cites tests that show the chemicals can cause defects in animals. They say these products could potentially hurt both developing fetuses and nursing infants. The group commissioned a test of 72 products. Fifty-two were found to contain phthalates, but only one listed phthalates on the label!

Thankfully for us, there is a line of personal care products that perform beautifully without these harmful substances!

A second hazard are flame retardants known as PBDE’s (Polybrominated diphenyl ethers), common in indoor air through the normal wear and tear of fabrics, cushions, and other treated household products.

For more information on how to drastically reduce airborne gases and odors, particles such as pollen and smoke, and microbes such as molds and bacteria, check this out.

From the American Society for Clinical Nutrition:

The constant struggle diabetics face to monitor and maintain stable blood sugar levels may have just become much easier, according to a new European study. Published in the July 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study found that supplementing high-glycemic meals with protein shake supplements helped keep blood sugar levels near their normal levels in many type 2 diabetics (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 82, No. 1, 76-83, July 2005). When the shakes were replaced with other protein sources, such as lean meats, the stabilizing effect was much more muted.

If you’re interested in protein shakes, these protein shake options are low-glycemic and have been independently proven not to spike blood sugar levels.

An antibiotic specifically designed for mild to moderate respiratory tract infections, has been linked to a growing number of reports of liver failure, including four deaths! You can read the full report here.

While the implications of this happening despite FDA oversight are troubling, what really hits home for me is the importance of individual responsibility for health. Are there times when antibiotics are needed? Of course. But many of us rely on antibiotics at the first sign of infection. It seems to me that we would be better served by trying to support our body’s own fight of infectious invaders…with a variety of natural health and wellness measures. Not only do we then avoid the potentially serious side-effects of antibiotics, but we allow our bodies to develop its own natural immunity to the bacteria at issue.

The FDA recently identified five grocery-store beverages that contained high levels of cancer-causing benzene in specific production lots of the drinks. According to the Associated Press account of this public health concern, “The companies that make the drinks have been alerted and either have reformulated their products or plan to do so, the FDA said.” The five drinks listed by the government were Safeway Select Diet Orange, Crush Pineapple, AquaCal Strawberry Flavored Water Beverage, Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange and Giant Light Cranberry Juice Cocktail.

It makes me wonder what we really do to ourselves, many times unwittingly, when we consume these so-called “drinks”. Seems to me a more apt name might be chemical cocktails.