We’ve all heard and probably used the phrase “I’m not going to sugar coat this…” but how often do we really think about what that means? Many children’s medications are coated in sweeteners to make them more palatable, and more likely that your kids will actually take them. You should be wary of what types of medications your child takes, because when it comes to these coatings there’s more involved than just a “spoonful of sugar” to make the medicine go down, and it’s not delightful at all.

Many children’s medications are coated in food colorings that are actually carcinogenic, and contain petroleum, antifreeze, and ammonia. Aluminum lake food coloring specifically can cause heavy metal poisoning and even lead to nervous system damage like autism. Even just 4 parts per million of aluminum can inhibit learning, cause bone disorders, and even lead to Alzheimer ’s disease. Most of these aluminum lake dyes are derived from coal tar, and are toxic in the right amounts.

What’s scary is that even with all the harmful effects that are known, the FDA still believes that food colorings like these are important. In fact their formal take on the issue is that “Color additives are important components of many products, making them attractive, appealing, appetizing, and informative”

Here are some of the most frequently used dyes, and what they’ve been shown to cause in clinical testing:

Red #2 -Toxic to rodents, bladder tumors

Red #40 –Allergic reactions are very common, and lab mice had severe immune deficiencies

Yellow #5 -Causes severe hypersensitivity reaction

Sources:

US Food and Drug Administration

Chemical of the Day

Feingold Association

Paula Deen has been a famous face for years now. Starting as a restaurant owner, and moving through the ranks of paid programming to have her own shows on Food Network and multiple appearances on other celebrity talk shows, she’s even the face of Smithfield meats now. Pumping out dozens of recipes that aren’t exactly healthy has had the southern chef in hot water before, as most doctors wouldn’t recommend eating bacon cheeseburgers with donuts as buns. Recently though, she’s been in the news for other reasons than ridiculous deep fried concoctions. It seems that Deen is now a paid spokesperson for a pharmaceutical company, and it’s not just a coincidence.

Three years ago, Paula Deen was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Could cheeseburger meatloaf and deep fried stuffing on a stick contribute to such a condition? Sure. What’s sketchy is that the drug she’s being paid to endorse is a diabetes drug from Novo Nordisk. Is 3 years promoting a diet of foods that contributed to her development of the disease a little long? Most of her supporters seem to think so. Not helping her image is the fact that when questioned about her own habits on national television, she evaded the question and neglected her position as a role model of sorts.

Even most of the other celebrity chef community is remaining silent on the issue, and Deen is surprised. Most say however, that they would have jumped to support her had she not waited until she was contracted to endorse a diabetes drug. The PR agency that represents other celebrities like Rachel Ray, Martha Stewart, and Bobby Flay said that “none of our chefs want to go on record saying anything about her.”

Sources:

Huffington Post (1) (2)

Mother Jones

Salon

Prescription drugs are a mixed bag at best in regard to what’s safe, and what’s not. Those who support big pharmaceutical companies often tout that the FDA regulates everything so strictly in order to ensure and increase the safety of every day consumers like you and I. This a classic case of “good in theory, poor in execution” as it sounds good to say that there’s an organization like the FDA to protect our safety. However, you’d be surprised by a new report that suggests exactly the opposite – unregulated ingredients and uninspected production facilities.

According to a new report by the US Government Accountability Office up to 40% of the pharmaceuticals sold in the US are actually manufactured abroad. In fact, a 2007 report listed over 1,000 facilities throughout Canada, India, and China. The real problem here is tat the FDA has only listed 368 official inspections, which means that over 600 of these facilities have never been inspected at all. It’s actually shocking to know that such a large percentage of drugs; both prescription and OTC are produced overseas. Example, aspirin is produced nearly exclusively in China.

We should have seen it coming, as major pharmaceutical companies have been shutting down factories in the US and moving abroad. Each year the number of people who are killed or severely hurt by prescription drugs continues to grow. Likely in part to these tainted pills. The New York Times reported back in 2009 that a majority of ingredients for important medication like those for allergies, diabetes, high blood pressure, and antibiotics are almost completely procured in China or India.

Checks and balances are important, but when it comes to your health who regulates the regulators?

Sources:

New York Times

AlterNet

For those who missed it, 60 Minutes recently aired an investigation into fake stem cell therapies and the “doctors” that offer them. It was a terribly sad story of snake oil in the 21^st century. The story focused on the family of a young boy suffering from cerebral palsey, quadriplegia, and blindness. This family, the Sussers, began searching online for answers when their son’s doctors had none. As any of us could do, they stumbled upon the theory of stem cells online and even took their son to a clinic in Mexico for treatment with no clue whether or not it would work. When 60 Minutes got involved, the story of a “disgraced doctor” as they called him was put into view. Some of the claims he made, and the basis on which he made them are shocking to say the least.

The Sussers cooperated with the investigation and began looking into a stem cell lab they found online based in Ecuador (stem cell procedures are still illegal in the US) called StemTech Labs. The doctor who ran the lab, Dan Ecklund sent a letter to the Sussers after they had contacted his labs in which he said he believed their son would receive improvements to his consciousness, vision, speech, and even the ability to stand or walk. Later, during an interview Ecklund revealed that his “expertise” in stem cell research and treatment was completely self taught, and he has never published a single research paper or study. In fact, his medical license was revoked in 2005! Some of the reasons for losing his license include that he prescribed controlled substances to a patient he know was a drug addict, prescribed controlled substances to a patient that he was having sex with, and that he had sexual experiences with young female children. Not exactly the person you’d want injecting illegal stem cells into your 11 year old son to the tune of $20,000 is it?

To further prove the con that was taking place here, the investigation enlisted the help of Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, who is a physician and also the chief scientific officer of Duke University’s stem cell research program. She believes in the future of stem cells, which theoretically can replicate other cells in the body, however she refutes any of Ecklund’s claims that he’s seen stem cell procedures cure multiple sclerosis and Lou Gehrig’s disease. They even went as far as to purchase stem cells from Ecklunds Ecuadorian research facility for $5,000 and had them transported in the safest of medical transport methods. Upon arrival, the cells were either dead or dying – and they were even proven to be frozen properly the entire time via computer chip.

It’s a shame that incurable diseases like these exist, but it’s completely disgusting that people like Dan Ecklund exist to prey upon the weak. You can view the entire transcript and video at the link below, courtesy of CBS.

Sources:

CBS/60 Minutes

Many people suffer from what doctors call “non specific” symptoms, and often find no relief from them because those same doctors look past the problems, or are performing the wrong tests altogether. Some such symptoms include frequent colds, chronic fatigue, poor sleep, and more. The problem is that most of the widely used medical tests are too broad, and the doctors who perform them are frequently quick to mark them down as mental health issues. Truth be told, there are some simple tests and evaluations that can shed a great deal of light on what’s causing your problems.

For many people, the root cause of such mystery symptoms are entirely treatable issues, or more often nutritional deficiencies. Standard blood tests can pick up on deficiencies of certain things like iron, but they miss a wide range of things that could lead to the aforementioned problems. Even if your personal nutrient levels are in the “normal” range, that doesn’t mean it’s normal for you. All of us being unique individuals, some of use require different amounts of certain nutrients. There are tests and evaluations that can pinpoint personal requirements, so be sure to ask your doctor about them.

In addition to fatigue and sleep problems, vitamin deficiencies can also lead to mood swings, anxiety, and depression. Most conventional doctors look at averages in blood tests, but it’s not at all uncommon for people to have such symptoms when levels are above the range where problems generally begin to occur. The good news is that most imbalances or deficiencies can be treated with dietary changes or supplementation. One thing to keep in mind is that if you frequently suffer from heartburn and take medication that suppresses stomach acids, it’s very common to have nutritional deficiencies. These medications can often impair your ability to absorb certain vitamins.

Another new year, another set of resolutions that will most likely fall to the wayside within a few months. The biggest problem is that most of us suffer from an unhealthy level of self over-confidence when it comes to setting goals, and we set them way too high. Setting resolution goals that are a challenge, but are also reachable is key to success. So don’t try to promise yourself that you’re going to hit the gym every single day, because you and I both know that’s not going to last. Instead, try these few ideas to add attainable goals to your list of resolution, and actually earn that self confidence from achieving them.

OK, so if you’re not going to stick to that new gym membership then you might as well resolve to save some money at the same time. Why pay for it if you’re not going to use it? Just try to incorporate more exercise into your everyday life. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk more instead of driving when possible. This is an easy way to start working towards those weight loss and exercise goals, and you may even start feeling better enough from that to eventually make good on that gym rat status you want over your head so badly.

People are busier than ever these days, so it’s so easy to hit the drive through or take out for meals. One resolution that’s fairly easy to stick to will save you money and likely make you healthier: eat in. Instead of going out for so many meals, stay in and cook or take your lunch from home to work. You’ll likely be eating healthier food, and will save a lot of money at the same time.

When you think of financial problems, there’s one easy solution for most people: cut the impulse buys. Some people just have that situation where money is “burning a hole in their pocket”. One way to help curb this spending is to leave your credit cards at home and only allow yourself to spend whatever cash you may have on you. Now, a week later and you’re still after that prize and then it might be an ok purchase. It’s important to take your time to decide what you need and what you want.

It started with Halloween, that surplus of candy and sweet treats that reminds you that the season of holidays is upon us. Next up: Thanksgiving. Despite popular belief, there are ways to avoid the typical stigma of packing on the holiday pounds. It may take a whole lot of will power as many of the foods present on your family’s table this Thursday are there for a limited engagement, and it’s easy to go overboard. Here are a few tips on how to avoid the traditional holiday meal pitfalls and come out lighter on the other side of the New Year.

Most of us wake up on Thanksgiving morning just waiting to gorge ourselves at Grandma’s house. Honestly though, if you even ate just a small breakfast filled with healthy protein and fiber your appetite would calm down significantly and you’d be able to make more sound choices by the time you hit the buffet line.

Before you dive in and start filling your plate with mountains of mashed potatoes, take a look at the whole spread. This way you can decide which of the dishes you REALLY want on your plate, and you can get a reasonable sized portion of the ones that matter the most. This is especially important if you’re a calorie counter. Don’t waste those precious calories on foods you can eat any other day of the year.

For most people Thanksgiving is an all day affair, so enjoy it as such. Take your time with your meal, spread out the deserts, snacks, or those dreaded second helpings. Take the time to enjoy fellowship with friends and family that you might not otherwise get to visit. Thanksgiving is more than just a meal, it’s about you and your loved ones.

Of all the places for left versus right wing politics to battle it out just for the sake of argument, our public school lunch rooms are the last place for such debates. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what is going on right now and the children of this country are the ones who will suffer for it. One of the goals under the Obama administration is an attempt to increase the quality of nutrition in school lunch programs. This has mainly been due to the efforts of first lady Michelle Obama, but it has been a part of the administrations concerns nonetheless. In an attempt by congress to directly refute the administration for no other reason than “just because”, a new congressional bill would allow even just two tablespoons of tomato paste to be called a “serving” of vegetables, thus classifying pizza as a vegetable.

Now, if you were letting your kids read this story they might have a different reaction. However, we know the truth of the matter: it has nothing to do with improving our children’s diets. Pandering to special interest groups and doing the opposite of what the party across the aisle wants is a big reason that this country is in the shape it is currently. Supporters of the bill claim that this bill will improve nutrition and also free up room in schools budgets. This is simply just not true.

Even if you could consider tomato paste to be healthy, think about what else is in the processed, preserved, and frozen pizza served in most public school cafeterias. Refined flour and sugars, chemically altered cheeses, oils, and seasonings: these are just a few of the terribly unhealthy ingredients used. The best case scenario here is a matter of “1 step forward, 3 steps back”.

Sources:

Fox News

In 2009 Clermont, Florida’s Lake Correctional Institution embarked on a plan to cut their food budget by substituting soy products for anything that would have previously been labeled a “meat” item. This quickly escalated to other products like cheeses and breads, and eventually cut the prison facilities food budget by half. What happened next was surely not expected, as large numbers of reports of conditions such as severe and chronic constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting among other conditions like fatigue and depression began to crop up. Now, a convicted felon currently imprisoned at LCI is seeking a class action lawsuit against the state’s prison system for exposing them to toxic genetically modified soy, a "cruel and unusual punishment".

The facility removed a number of soy items from its menu immediately after this news became public, but continues to use it in a lot of other products where it isn’t so obvious. Many other ingredients and additives still contain high levels of soy, and prisoners are still having excessive health related issues because of it. Almost all of the soy produced in the US is genetically modified, so there’s little chance that the soy being used in Florida prisons is anything other than that.

The Weston A. Price Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to nutrition, has taken up arms with the prisoners and is challenging that continuing to feed the inmates such high levels of GM soy actually violates the state constitution and could be considered “cruel and unusual punishment”. Florida taxpayers are also being encouraged to join the argument and fight the use of toxic GM products like soy by making this a major class action lawsuit.

Sources:

CBS Tampa

The Weston A. Price Foundation

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) report that nearly 6 million people suffer from heart failure in the US alone, and roughly 300,000 die from it each year. For those unfamiliar, hear failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood through the body. Symptoms that arise include kidney failure, fatigue, and can also lead to shortness of breath due to fluid buildup around the heart which caused excess pressure on the lungs. There is currently no cure for this condition, though changes in lifestyle and a few medications can help somewhat. New research that has just been announced at the 2011 American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions currently being held in Orlando, FL says that there is still hope – and it’s not in the form of a prescription drug with other side effects or invasive surgery.

The lead study author, Eun Kyeung Song, Ph. D, R.N., said that “…adequate intake of vitamin C was associated with longer survival in patients with heart failure…” That’s right, not some new “super drug” that big pharma can try to shove down our throats, but good old vitamin C. Vitamin deficiency has come closer to the forefront of current medicine recently as more and more stories about dangers associated with prescription drugs rise to the front page. More research continues to be done into additional benefits of vitamins and minerals as they are more likely to provide better results with fewer chemical reactions in the body.

Not only can vitamin C supplementation help lower risk of death from heart failure, but deficiency in the vital nutrient is actually linked a higher rate of death. This is a bit of a two way street though, as heart failure patients are frequently prescribed diuretics that flush their bodies of fluids and also remove needed minerals. This was mentioned in the press statement by Terry Lennie, Ph. D., R.N., from the University of Kentucky. It seems that since inflammation is a major issue with heart failure, vitamin C helps by reducing that inflammation – but only in proper dosages.

Sources:

American Journal of Public Health