Maximized Living posted a new article on Processed Meat Linking to Pancreatic Cancer. It is a very interesting article because majority of the food we have access to includes processed meat.
According to PubMed Health, the pancreas is an organ in the body that secretes enzymes that helps our intestines absorbs food, especially fats. Pancreatic Cancer is more common in woman than in men. The results from 11 studies was analyzed by the Swedish Cancer Foundation and Karolinska Institute, it showed that there was a 19% increase in risk of pancreatic cancer for people who ate 50 grams of processed meat every day compared to people who didn't eat meat.
What is considered processed meat? Anything that has to be "processed" before it gets to you. That means that preservatives (chemicals) are added to them or anything else are added to them in order to make them last longer. Processed anything seems to include that. One popular one for processed meat is sodium nitrate which is used to keep the meat from discoloration.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tropicana being sued
The article I would like to refer today is about Tropicana being sued. It is interesting because what they state is true. Most consumers today are sold into the words such as "natural", "pure", "healthy" and so forth. They want to get products that would make them feel as if they are doing good for their body. So when Tropicana puts the label of "100% pure and natural" on their products the same things applies.
The claim is that PepsiCo puts the orange juice through much more "processing" in order to achieve a more appealing look to their juice and give it a much longer shelf life. The Tropicana website claims that the juice is never from concentrate and uses about 16 oranges per 59 oz. If you dig further in the website they claim that they have no extras in the OJ, such as water, sugar or preservatives. That is pretty amazing. Now I think the best thing for any of us to do is to go to the store, pick up a bottle of Tropicana and read the back.
Majority of the time if there is something on the back that you know what it is, it's probably not natural or pure.
The claim is that PepsiCo puts the orange juice through much more "processing" in order to achieve a more appealing look to their juice and give it a much longer shelf life. The Tropicana website claims that the juice is never from concentrate and uses about 16 oranges per 59 oz. If you dig further in the website they claim that they have no extras in the OJ, such as water, sugar or preservatives. That is pretty amazing. Now I think the best thing for any of us to do is to go to the store, pick up a bottle of Tropicana and read the back.
Majority of the time if there is something on the back that you know what it is, it's probably not natural or pure.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Childhood Obesity Awareness Campaign
Not too long ago I wrote an article about another article about childhood obesity. Yesterday I stumbled on another article about Childhood Obesity Awareness. In my position I wanted to add in my insight on childhood obesity, my position is from being an obese teenager. A lot has changed since then I am more in shape than before but am forever imprinted a concern about my weight and appearance. I question myself every day on my looks and even my self esteem, which has improved.
A series of ads have been released discussing childhood obesity in order to make it aware. It was quoted that it blamed the victims of childhood obesity and their family. A line saying "it starts at home and at the buffet line" another saying "it's hard to be a little girl when you're not." Blunt. The debate in the article on whether it would cause parents to take action or would it do the opposite and cause parents to avoid it even further. Very interesting debate.
As a teenage, if I saw that ad I would be even more ashamed of myself. The reason I say that is because being in the position I was in, I was already sensitive of how I looked. I would avoid my reflection like it was the plague, which I sometimes do right now. The ad just states what I already know, not how to fix it. I feel like it takes a lot for a person to take responsibility for their body and improve themselves. Parents today are confused on how to tend to their children's health without just taking them to the doctor. They expect to just drop their child on the laps of a doctor and everything would be ok. The ad should be talking about something like that.
I was fortunate to have my parent's support. My father actually jogged beside me as he encouraged me to run laps around the soccer field near our park. That was one of the most difficult moments for me. Positive reinforcement can help too by telling your child how much nicer they looked. You must make the positive outweigh the negative as much as possible. The little girl in the video talks about being picked on because of her weight, I remember those days. I agree, parents need to stand up and encourage their children to eat healthy, stay active and most importantly be positive.
A series of ads have been released discussing childhood obesity in order to make it aware. It was quoted that it blamed the victims of childhood obesity and their family. A line saying "it starts at home and at the buffet line" another saying "it's hard to be a little girl when you're not." Blunt. The debate in the article on whether it would cause parents to take action or would it do the opposite and cause parents to avoid it even further. Very interesting debate.
As a teenage, if I saw that ad I would be even more ashamed of myself. The reason I say that is because being in the position I was in, I was already sensitive of how I looked. I would avoid my reflection like it was the plague, which I sometimes do right now. The ad just states what I already know, not how to fix it. I feel like it takes a lot for a person to take responsibility for their body and improve themselves. Parents today are confused on how to tend to their children's health without just taking them to the doctor. They expect to just drop their child on the laps of a doctor and everything would be ok. The ad should be talking about something like that.
I was fortunate to have my parent's support. My father actually jogged beside me as he encouraged me to run laps around the soccer field near our park. That was one of the most difficult moments for me. Positive reinforcement can help too by telling your child how much nicer they looked. You must make the positive outweigh the negative as much as possible. The little girl in the video talks about being picked on because of her weight, I remember those days. I agree, parents need to stand up and encourage their children to eat healthy, stay active and most importantly be positive.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Eat Healthy and Stay Smart
This morning I opened up my mouth and swallowed a tablespoon straight of Fish Oil. I remember my doctor telling me the benefits of taking fish oil straight versus swallowing the fish oil capsules. In liquid form it will absorb more efficiently into our body. The capsule will take longer to absorb because our body has to break down the capsule first. Also in order to get the amount of fish oil I need into my body I would need to take so many more capsules. Either way I get fish oil into my body, it's a good thing. Fish oil is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Fish Oil is extracted from fish, but the fish does not produce the fish oil. It is accumulated from the fish's diet including microalgae and preyfish. There are so many benefits from fish oil that I have noticed in my life but it's always nice to find a new article that enforces why I am taking it. First of all I notice that my skin is better, I feel more awake then finally omega-3 fatty acids help with your brain.
The most recent article I found is about the elderly and their mental performance. Sound vitamins they measured beyond omega-3 included Vitamin D and B12. Keep yourself healthy and make sure you're taking in what you need.
Fish Oil is extracted from fish, but the fish does not produce the fish oil. It is accumulated from the fish's diet including microalgae and preyfish. There are so many benefits from fish oil that I have noticed in my life but it's always nice to find a new article that enforces why I am taking it. First of all I notice that my skin is better, I feel more awake then finally omega-3 fatty acids help with your brain.
The most recent article I found is about the elderly and their mental performance. Sound vitamins they measured beyond omega-3 included Vitamin D and B12. Keep yourself healthy and make sure you're taking in what you need.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Do you own a mini drugstore at home?
One of my favorite sites to visit is the Maximized Living website. There are a lot of information on the website about different health topics that goes on. It's a great resource to learn ways to take care of yourself without succumbing to the medical model. I have learned and hope that all of our readers out there will that sometimes even so someone says one thing we should always learn more about it then make our decision.
This time the article that caught my attention is on Cholesterol medication. "Is this Malicious Health Scandal Stealing Your Money?" Prescription drugs hit home with me because both of my parents are taking pills every day to keep "healthy" but it seems every few months instead of taking less pills they are taking more and more. My mother has a shoe box of bottles and among them includes cholesterol pills. Wouldn't you think it's a concern when the drugs are piling up at home and not dwindling down?
Another interesting article that I found in regards to statins was at Dr. Mercola's website. It was about 11 Dangerous Statins. After reading this article it makes me realize that majority drugs out there have side effects which causes more problems. These problems are countered by adding more pills to the mix. In the end we end up with a drug cocktail. Oh yummy! "Your body NEEDS cholesterol—it is important in the production of cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps your brain form memories and is vital to your neurological function."
To be fair I read an article by Mayo Clinic about Cholesterol-lowering drugs. One statement caught my attention "If the only risk factor you have is high cholesterol, you may not need medication because your risk of heart attack and stroke could otherwise be low. High cholesterol is only one of a number of risk factors for heart attack and stroke." So even the doctors at Mayo Clinic admits that High cholesterol does not indicate that you are at high risk for heart problems. So high cholesterol does not mean you need to take a statin to lower it.
They posted a list of other risk factors that comes into play for if you are in risk of heart disease:
Other risk factors
Before you're prescribed a statin, your cholesterol level is considered along with other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including:
There are so many ways we can take care of ourselves and lower our risk for heart disease. Why must we be lazy about it then blame the health care system if we fail. It is our own undoing. Watch what you eat. Go out and exercise. Our body is our own business, you only get one. Take care of it today.
This time the article that caught my attention is on Cholesterol medication. "Is this Malicious Health Scandal Stealing Your Money?" Prescription drugs hit home with me because both of my parents are taking pills every day to keep "healthy" but it seems every few months instead of taking less pills they are taking more and more. My mother has a shoe box of bottles and among them includes cholesterol pills. Wouldn't you think it's a concern when the drugs are piling up at home and not dwindling down?
Another interesting article that I found in regards to statins was at Dr. Mercola's website. It was about 11 Dangerous Statins. After reading this article it makes me realize that majority drugs out there have side effects which causes more problems. These problems are countered by adding more pills to the mix. In the end we end up with a drug cocktail. Oh yummy! "Your body NEEDS cholesterol—it is important in the production of cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps your brain form memories and is vital to your neurological function."
To be fair I read an article by Mayo Clinic about Cholesterol-lowering drugs. One statement caught my attention "If the only risk factor you have is high cholesterol, you may not need medication because your risk of heart attack and stroke could otherwise be low. High cholesterol is only one of a number of risk factors for heart attack and stroke." So even the doctors at Mayo Clinic admits that High cholesterol does not indicate that you are at high risk for heart problems. So high cholesterol does not mean you need to take a statin to lower it.
They posted a list of other risk factors that comes into play for if you are in risk of heart disease:
Other risk factors
Before you're prescribed a statin, your cholesterol level is considered along with other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including:
- Family history of high cholesterol or cardiovascular disease
- Inactive (sedentary) lifestyle
- High blood pressure
- Age older than 55 if you're a man, or older than 65 if you're a woman
- Poor general health
- Having diabetes
- Overweight or obesity
- Smoking
- Narrowing of the arteries in your neck, arms or legs (peripheral artery disease)
There are so many ways we can take care of ourselves and lower our risk for heart disease. Why must we be lazy about it then blame the health care system if we fail. It is our own undoing. Watch what you eat. Go out and exercise. Our body is our own business, you only get one. Take care of it today.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Birth Control, healthy or not?
A friend of mine have recently been prescribed birth control pills for her acne. The doctor told her that her hormones are imbalanced and that birth controls pills would help her regulate that so she won't have break outs. She is among the several million people out there who wants the easy way out for their health. The toxicity causing acne and break outs I would like to talk about another time. The focus today is on birth control, something I have very little knowledge about but because of my friend I am curious to learn about them.
According to the Planned Parenthood website they give you birth control pills at a glance:
One thing I love is that where is says Birth Control Pills are safe is also says "But all medications have some risks, so safety is a concern when choosing a birth control method." So some risks includes high blood pressure, it's bad if you have had breast cancer, blood clotting problems, lupus, diabetes, liver disease, smoke, etc. This surprises me because in my friend's family there has been diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems. Did her doctor look into that before prescribing it?
I stumbled upon an article about blood clots and Birth Control Pills. In particular it referred to a research study done by the FDA on pills containing drospirenone. They estimated 10 in 10,000 women taking the drospirenone drug would get a blood clot per year. "A clot in the blood vessels can prove fatal if it breaks loose and travels to the lungs, heart or brain." Not good. This is a concern because it includes popular birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin.
The second half of the article included interviews with doctors and people on their views of the data. One person stated that if the doctor prescribes it then they will go with it. As much as I know doctors do not intend on harming their patients but honestly how much do they really know about the drug. They know what they are told by the pharmaceutical reps.The best thing for any decision is to make sure you make an educated decision. Do the research.
According to the Planned Parenthood website they give you birth control pills at a glance:
- Take a pill each day to prevent pregnancy
- Safe, effective, and convenient
- Easy to get with a prescription
- Cost about $15-$50 each month
One thing I love is that where is says Birth Control Pills are safe is also says "But all medications have some risks, so safety is a concern when choosing a birth control method." So some risks includes high blood pressure, it's bad if you have had breast cancer, blood clotting problems, lupus, diabetes, liver disease, smoke, etc. This surprises me because in my friend's family there has been diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems. Did her doctor look into that before prescribing it?
I stumbled upon an article about blood clots and Birth Control Pills. In particular it referred to a research study done by the FDA on pills containing drospirenone. They estimated 10 in 10,000 women taking the drospirenone drug would get a blood clot per year. "A clot in the blood vessels can prove fatal if it breaks loose and travels to the lungs, heart or brain." Not good. This is a concern because it includes popular birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin.
The second half of the article included interviews with doctors and people on their views of the data. One person stated that if the doctor prescribes it then they will go with it. As much as I know doctors do not intend on harming their patients but honestly how much do they really know about the drug. They know what they are told by the pharmaceutical reps.The best thing for any decision is to make sure you make an educated decision. Do the research.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Arsenic Consuption in our Water and Apple Juice
Arsenic is a semi-metal element that is odorless and tasteless. It was once a popular poison for assassins and unhappy widows. There has been a lot of debate lately on how harmful is the little bits of arsenic we get in water and apple juice. According to the Environmental Protections Agency (EPA) that there are non-cancer effects which includes "thickening and discoloration of the skin, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting; diarrhea; numbness in hands and feet; partial paralysis; and blindness." But Arsenic has also been linked to several including bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver and prostate.
I am not sure about you but reading this makes me concern. Then why are we letting juice companies tell us that the little bits of arsenic we are feeding not just ourselves but also our children is okay? It's not. In an interview with Fox News, Michael Taylor (FDA's deputy commissioner for foods) said "We continue to think that apple juice is generally safe based on the fact that the vast majority of samples are very low. But we want to minimize these exposures as much as possible."
Currently the FDA uses 23 parts per billion as a guide to judge whether apple juice is contaminated. Consumer Reports published an article recently about arsenic in apple juice. They tested several popular brands of apple juice to find there were higher levels of arsenic. "Five samples of apple juice and four of grape juice had total arsenic levels exceeding the 10 ppb federal limit for bottled and drinking water. Levels in the apple juices ranged from 1.1 to 13.9 ppb, and grape-juice levels were even higher, 5.9 to 24.7 ppb. Most of the total arsenic in our samples was inorganic, our tests showed." Consumer groups also stated that the FDA's level is too high and isn't enforced with enough urgency.
Not too long ago popular TV Doctor, Dr. Oz did a program that did similar testings. He was criticized and the FDA responded saying that most of the arsenic were organic so they were harmless. Since then the FDA now has new research that says that arsenic was really inorganic and that makes them harmful now. Doesn't this make you concerned? Sometimes I question if the FDA is concerned about the people or are they concerned about making the big corporations happy?
Free Workshop on Water Detox hosted by Dr. Trent Iverson at Bandana Chiropractic and Wellness Center at 11:15 AM. Call 651-354-8343 to reserve a seat today.
I am not sure about you but reading this makes me concern. Then why are we letting juice companies tell us that the little bits of arsenic we are feeding not just ourselves but also our children is okay? It's not. In an interview with Fox News, Michael Taylor (FDA's deputy commissioner for foods) said "We continue to think that apple juice is generally safe based on the fact that the vast majority of samples are very low. But we want to minimize these exposures as much as possible."
Currently the FDA uses 23 parts per billion as a guide to judge whether apple juice is contaminated. Consumer Reports published an article recently about arsenic in apple juice. They tested several popular brands of apple juice to find there were higher levels of arsenic. "Five samples of apple juice and four of grape juice had total arsenic levels exceeding the 10 ppb federal limit for bottled and drinking water. Levels in the apple juices ranged from 1.1 to 13.9 ppb, and grape-juice levels were even higher, 5.9 to 24.7 ppb. Most of the total arsenic in our samples was inorganic, our tests showed." Consumer groups also stated that the FDA's level is too high and isn't enforced with enough urgency.
Not too long ago popular TV Doctor, Dr. Oz did a program that did similar testings. He was criticized and the FDA responded saying that most of the arsenic were organic so they were harmless. Since then the FDA now has new research that says that arsenic was really inorganic and that makes them harmful now. Doesn't this make you concerned? Sometimes I question if the FDA is concerned about the people or are they concerned about making the big corporations happy?
Free Workshop on Water Detox hosted by Dr. Trent Iverson at Bandana Chiropractic and Wellness Center at 11:15 AM. Call 651-354-8343 to reserve a seat today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)