April 2016 Newsletter - Introducing A New Soy Based Diet That Gets Your Cholesterol to 150!

Hopefully all of you recognize that headline as an April Fool’s! 

Unfortunately there are still many nutrition “experts” and mainstream medical personnel who believe soy is a health food and your cholesterol should be 150! In fact, these are just two of my favorite nutrition myths that I am compelled to debunk each and every day with my clients.

In the spirit of April Fool’s I’d like to review these top nutrition myths and provide you with the relevant information so you too can debunk them. Please see the featured article below for the details.

I’d also like to thank all my clients and mentors for their ongoing support. This past month of March 2016 was the best ever for my business. My business is primarily based on referrals and word of mouth. Satisfied clients refer their friends and relatives and it all goes from there. There is nothing more satisfying then when a client has normal bowel movements after three years of diarrhea or when migraine headaches no longer occur after years of suffering. It is an honor to work with each and every client as they become healthier and their health issues are resolved.  

Don’t Be Fooled: Nutrition Myths Busted – Part 1

Following are seven nutrition myths that I come across on a daily basis. Unfortunately, most of them are still widely accepted in the mainstream medical and media worlds (and some even in the “alternative” medical world). Most of these topics I’ve written about in prior newsletters and articles. Since this is a newsletter and not a book I will cover each one briefly and then provide links for your further reading.  Also, not to over burden you, I will split this article up between this newsletter and next month.

1.      All calories are created equal.

Do you believe eating a hard-boiled egg or a half slice of piece of white bread can have the same effect in your body? They have a similar caloric count. If you cut back your calories each week to lose weight and you keep doing that will you eventually disappear from weight loss? Not likely. For the full story click here: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=92

2.      Cholesterol causes heart disease.

We all have heard of people with “normal” cholesterol dropping dead from a heart attack. Even the cholesterol medications do not state they reduce the risk of heart disease, they only reduce cholesterol. Yet, we need cholesterol. It is the base ingredient for our steroid hormones. Perhaps that’s why there are so many side effects associated with statin medications. The real question is why is your body making cholesterol and what does it mean? Here’s one of my articles on cholesterol: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=279. And here’s a great website: http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol/

3.      Artificial sweeteners are safe.

Sorry, they’re not. They contain many harmful (potentially cancer causing) chemicals and while they don’t raise your blood sugar levels (they can’t because they’re not food) they still can cause an insulin response. For all the details click here: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=251.

If you want even more detail, here’s an excellent web site: http://www.janethull.com/

4.      Soy is a health food.

Not really. You can’t digest it, it inhibits thyroid hormone production, and can cause hormone disruptions, plus it is mostly GMO. Other than that – it’s great! Here’s my article: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=243. For more information I encourage you to go to the Weston Price Foundation web site and read their vast collection of soy articles: http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/

5.      Eating animal protein causes cancer (The China Study). – sorry, you’ll have to wait for next month’s newsletter.

6.      Antioxidants are essential nutrients. – sorry, you’ll have to wait for next month’s newsletter.

7.      There is no way to reverse Type II diabetes. – sorry, you’ll have to wait for next month’s newsletter.

Don’t be fooled!!

March 2016 Newsletter - March on Minerals!

March on Minerals!

Hard to believe it is March 1, especially as I look out my window and see some snow coming down! Fortunately it does not look like the 4-8 inches that they were predicting last night!

In a couple of weeks the NCAA’s March Madness begins – several crazy weeks of college basketball coming up! On the theme of madness and crazy this month’s newsletter looks at minerals. Why? Certain minerals are calming to the nervous system. They’ll help us cope with the pressure of how our bracket is doing in the office pool! 

But in all seriousness, minerals are essential to our life. While minerals in general are involved in all our functions there are specific minerals that are utilized by specific endocrine glands. See below for the minerals and glands pairings.

The only way to get minerals is to eat them! Our bodies do not make them. Please enjoy the articles below on the importance of minerals.

Magnesium and Calcium: Are You Deficient?

We hear a lot about the importance of calcium and magnesium to our health. I’ve attended several seminars recently where this was emphasized. One presenter said he checks for calcium, magnesium, and other minerals on all his clients. Why are minerals so important to us?  They assist the body in energy production - minerals contain no calories or energy.  They work with vitamins and enzymes to fuel all our metabolic processes.  Our health cannot be optimized if these processes are impaired.

For the rest of the article click here: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=675

Links to Additional Articles on Minerals

Here’s some additional articles on minerals:

The Three Minerals You Need to Balance Your Nervous System: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=33

Know Your Nutrients – A Few More Important Minerals: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=154

 

Minerals for A Strong Immune System: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=161

Minerals for Healthy Bones: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=168

Minerals and Glands

As mentioned above specific minerals are essential to the proper functioning of specific glands in the body. Here is a list:

Pituitary Gland – Manganese

Thyroid Gland – Iodine

Pancreas – Chromium

Adrenal Gland – Copper

Prostate Gland and Uterus – Zinc

Testicles and Ovaries – Selenium

For more information on the endocrine glands here’s the link to the page that links to all my previous articles: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?cat=11

For more information on the prostate gland here’s two articles:

Healthy Prostate Part 1: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=265

Healthy Prostate Part 2: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=264

Magnesium and Calcium: Are You Deficient?

We hear a lot about the importance of calcium and magnesium to our health. I’ve attended several seminars recently where this was emphasized. One presenter said he checks for calcium, magnesium, and other minerals on all his clients. Why are minerals so important to us?  They assist the body in energy production - minerals contain no calories or energy.  They work with vitamins and enzymes to fuel all our metabolic processes.  Our health cannot be optimized if these processes are impaired.

In the month of February we think of Valentine’s Day and hopefully heart health. Magnesium and calcium are two of the most important minerals for a healthy heart and cardiovascular system.

Another presenter stated that 74% of the US population is deficient in magnesium. In preparing for this article, a quick Google search reveals another website saying 80%. Quick searches state similar high numbers for calcium deficiency.

Why so much deficiency? My answer is simple. Minerals come from plants that are grown in healthy mineral rich soil or from animals that ate plants that are grown in this soil.  The first problem is that plants (vegetables) are under-consumed in most American diets. The second problem is that most of the plants are grown in nutrient depleted soil. There are many studies showing the significant drop in the vitamin content of our vegetables and fruits compared to pre-1950 levels. And the third problem is that most of the animals are not eating healthy plants!

My last article described the healthiest foods to eat. If you missed it, you can find it on my blog The Road to Better Health Starts with Food: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=661. 

Now, let’s take a closer look at these two essential minerals.

Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals to the body. It is needed for over 300 different bodily processes. Magnesium aids in enzyme activation. Enzymes make everything happen in the body! 

It helps metabolize blood sugar and produce cortisone.  Keeping your blood sugar levels under control is the key to health!  Another important role of magnesium is to support healthy nerve and muscle function.  It works with calcium to keep the nerves firing and the muscles moving!  It is involved in nerve signal transmission, muscle contraction, and heart rhythm.  Along with calcium and phosphorus it is one of the 18 nutrients critical to forming and maintaining bones and teeth.

Magnesium helps prevent heart attacks by regulating the neuromuscular activity of the heart and maintaining normal heart rhythm. It helps prevent calcium deposits, kidney stones, and gallstones. Magnesium is needed for proper Calcium and Vitamin C metabolism. And, it has been found to aid in bowel regularity.

A shortage of magnesium can show up in a variety of emotional symptoms such as nervousness, tension, and confusion. On a physical level it can result in tremors, muscular excitability, gallstones, kidney stones, or constipation. It has also been linked to blood clots in the heart and brain, along with brittle bones.  

As you can see, this is definitely something we need to consume!  Magnesium is found in many vegetables. The highest amounts are found in artichokes, avocadoes, legumes (black beans, green beans, navy beans, pinto beans), nuts and seeds (cashews, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds), dark green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, Swiss chard), organ meats, seafood (halibut, salmon, shrimp), and tomatoes.

If you drink alcohol or eat a lot of sweets, you need to keep a close watch on your magnesium levels as alcohol and sugar deplete magnesium in the body.

Calcium

Calcium is one of the most talked about minerals and for good reason.  It supports strong bone structure, teeth, and muscle tissue, aids in blood clotting function, supports cardiovascular and nerve functions, and helps in normal functioning of many enzymes.  We often hear about calcium deficiencies in conjunction with osteoporosis.  As mentioned above it is one of the 18 nutrients required to build bones.  

What else contributes to our calcium shortages? Would you believe soft drink (soda) consumption?  The reason is that phosphorus is added to them.  Phosphorus and calcium need to be in a specific relationship in our body.  So, when we take in excessive phosphorus and don't have sufficient calcium intakes, our body must take it from a storage location.  You guessed it - the bones!

The best sources of calcium are of course from food.  It is also a misconception that this has to come from milk.  Leafy green vegetables are a great source of calcium.  For calcium choose: bone meal, cheese (best are Cheddar, mozzarella, and Swiss), collard greens, flaxseed, liver, milk, molasses, mustard greens, sesame seeds, spinach, turnip greens, wheat germ and yogurt.

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

February 2016 Newsletter - Happy Valentine's Day and Heart Health

The beginning of February means Valentine’s Day is approaching and with it our attention turns to matters of the heart. Last year I attended two excellent seminars on the heart. The last one I attended was presented by Dr. Michael Gaeta in December 2015 which was his synopsis of Mark Anderson’s Back to School for Doctors 2015 presentation along with his own special insights from his over 25 years of practice. Some interesting tidbits of information and my summary articles are in the first feature article below.

In a related story just this last week, the Express from the United Kingdom featured an article illustrating how the conventional medicine solution of taking a statin for heart health has been linked to an increased risk for diabetes. You can read that article by clicking here: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/639586/Statins-doubles-diabetes-study-drug.

Last month’s newsletter featured several articles about what to eat and how to exercise. I noticed that I have changed a few ideas about the top foods to eat, so I have written a new article to summarize which I call “The Road to Better Health Starts with Food.” You can link to it here: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=661.

Many of you have asked about my trip to Argentina. It was fantastic, once we got there! It was great to meet and be with Susana’s family and to meet some of her closest lifelong friends, to spend time on the beach, relax, and to see the city of Buenos Aires. Some of you were following the adventure on Facebook. There was a bit of drama with American Airlines. If you want some entertainment you can read the details below!

Dr. Michael Gaeta and Heart Health

Here’s a few of the tidbits Dr.Gaeta shared that I thought were of interest to pass along.

One half of all deaths in the United States are caused by clots. This includes heart attacks and strokes. Thus preventing clots can go a long way in life extension. The solution to preventing clots is a natural substance called rutin. Rutin is part of Vitamin P, which is part of the Vitamin C complex. Vitamin P stands for permeability. It is the collagen formation factor. We need collagen for tissue and vascular integrity. Collagen keeps the body tissues strong. It is the “glue” that holds them together. Plaquing occurs when there is low collagen. Plaque is made from calcium and cholesterol. It is placed where there is inflammation in the body. Damage to the vasculature has caused inflammation. There is not sufficient collagen to repair, thus in comes the plaque. 

For more detailed information regarding heart disease and stroke and rutin I encourage you to see my heart health series of blogs. 

Part 1 – Introduction and Heart Rate: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=390

Part 2 – Rhythm of the Heart: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=449

Part 3 – Toning the Heart: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=529

More tidbits:

One third of the United States population is diabetic or pre-diabetic. 90% of those who are pre-diabetic are unaware.  Two-thirds of US adults are overweight and one-third of US children are overweight.

Synthetic vitamins have been shown to increase the risk of death by 8-16%. This is why I use food based vitamins in my practice.

Since statins have been in use the studies show that cardiovascular disease risk has gone down (as the drug companies will point out), but..all death mortality has increased. There is a 43% increase in the cases of diabetes if they are taking statins. The bottom line – the statin is causing something else to kill you before heart disease!

The ideal spread for blood pressure is 40 points. That is where the traditional 120/80 comes from. The bigger the difference between the two numbers, the greater the stress is on the arteries. Interestingly enough, one-half of strokes take place in people with normal blood pressure. Since that is the case it puts into question the concept that high blood pressure causes strokes.

For the full blog article on tidbits from Dr. Gaeta click here: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=658.

If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Gaeta, here's a link to his website: https://michaelgaeta.com/

The Road to Better Health Starts with Food

With the New Year upon us many of us make the resolution to be healthier. In most cases that is interpreted as losing weight. Many of us will join the gym and begin to exercise. For some that will be sufficient as the last few holiday pounds come off. However, to ensure better health in the long term that is not the solution. The road to better health starts with food and drink – what we are putting into our body. 

My purpose in this article is to be straight forward and make it simple. Here are the foods I recommend you eat on a regular basis, unless of course you are allergic. These foods emphasize what lacks in many American diets – vegetables and fruit for vitamins and minerals to fuel our metabolism, healthy sources of protein to build our bodies, and healthy fats that are sources of Omega 3’s and vitamins A, D, E, and K. If you want more details about these foods see my blog and other nutrition resources.

For the rest of the article click here: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=661.

American Airlines – Not A Healthy Company

While Argentina was great I have nothing good to say about American Airlines. In summary we missed connections, were delayed over 12 hours, and after all that our bags did not arrive with us. And the worst part of all is they really did not seem to care. For my mental health and for your amusement you can read all the details and the back and forth communication.

While I know it has nothing to do with my health. The stress of the whole ordeal with American also was not healthy. My experience and the customer rankings that were in a recent Wall Street Journal article I reference suggest you can make a better choice of who to fly with and I would encourage you to do so.

Here’s a link to information from that article: http://www.chron.com/business/article/Wall-Street-Journal-names-the-best-and-worst-6759326.php

My complaint letter, truly one for the ages!! http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=663

Their non-customer oriented response, basically a form letter filling in my name and dates: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=665

My response back, telling them I was not satisfied with their offer: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=667

And their final short and sweet back to me telling me to get lost: http://brwellness.com/nutrition-news/?p=669

I have since filed a complaint with the FAA and they have forwarded that to American. Hopefully I’ll get a more customer focused person.