What the billion dollar Weight Loss "industry" does NOT want you to know about "THE CLOCK."

THE CLOCK

By leaving this one piece of information out of all weight loss diets, you are sure to lose/regain/lose/regain and keep the “weight loss industry” coffers filled to the brim.

The human body is a machine, a top of the line, expertly designed machine...like a Lamborghini.

When healthy, it works in a very precise and methodical way.  When the body is studied, it is possible to see the intricate connections between its systems.  Cells, organs, glands, hormones, enzymes, muscles, bones: all connected and backing each other up.  There are survival mechanisms that immediately activate when the top tier mechanisms and actions don't work properly.  The mission of the entire body is to stay alive...at all costs.

With that said, there is an optimal fuel source for the body: blood sugar.  Blood sugar is normally derived from carbohydrate intake or glycogen stored in the liver and muscles.  Blood sugar can, if necessary, also be derived from the breakdown of protein and fat.  But...in the course of a normal day, blood glucose is derived from carbohydrate in foods and glycogen release from the liver and muscle.

The human body runs on a 5 hour clock.  Not just while you are awake, but around the clock.  Under normal circumstances, the carbohydrate you ingest has a life span of about 5 hours.  If you don't replace carbs in a meal or snack after the 5 hour mark, the brain sends a signal to the liver to release glycogen stores.  So...your blood sugar will stay in the normal range either from the carb you ingest or self feeding by the liver.  Most people are not aware of the 5 hour clock and the fact that after 5 hours pass without eating, the liver will self feed (survival mechanism).  The liver does not release a miniscule amount of glycogen...this is a survival mechanism and it releases a hefty dose.

Keep in mind the following:  Over 55% of the population over-responds to a rise in blood sugar with an excess release of the fat gain hormone, insulin.  Normally, when blood sugar rises from carb or liver release, the pancreas releases the precise correct amount of insulin to transport the glucose to the muscles and stores excess blood sugar as fat. The circulating blood sugar is left in the normal range. 

But, if you are in the majority of people, your pancreas will over-respond to a rise in blood sugar with EXCESS fat gain hormone.  Instead of the correct amount of insulin, you open excess fat cells and overprocess blood sugar into fat. This leaves the sugar in your blood stream lower than normal and the sugar stored in your fat cells higher than normal.  (fat stores around the middle, belly fat, back fat, muffin top and high cholesterol/triglycerides).

This resultant lower than normal blood sugar causes the brain to signal for you to "find and eat more carb."  If you do eat carb to answer the brain's plea, the excess insulin release,  excess sugar stored as fat, and resultant low blood sugar happens again.

If you ignore the brain, the liver will automatically release glycogen that will cause blood sugar to rise, excess release of insulin, and also result in excess sugar stored as fat, lower than normal blood sugar, and more cravings.

Now...what does this have to do with breakfast being the most important meal?

If the last meal you eat begins at 6PM and you force yourself not to snack in an effort to lose weight....you don't realize it, but every 5 hours after 6PM ...until you eat again....your liver will self feed meal after meal and trigger excess insulin release and excess fat storage.  So, you eat dinner at 6PM, but you are also quietly fed at 11PM, 4AM, 9AM without even knowing it. 

If you skip breakfast and don't eat until 1PM, you have no idea that you actually ate 4 times in the past 24 hours from self feeding by the liver.   So...you are eating at 6:00 PM (dinner), 11:00 PM (liver), 4:00 AM (liver),  9:00AM (liver), 12:00 lunch, 5:00 liver, 6:00 dinner...and the cycle continues.

In this study, when they talk about 2 meals/day...they are  not taking into account the other side of the coin...if a person does not eat, the liver will step up to the plate, and the majority of people struggling with weight, diabetes, hypertension, elevated cholesterol (those with metabolic syndrome) will forever be trapped in the cycle of obesity.

What does breakfast do?  It puts YOU in charge.  YOU can control what you eat at the meal instead of being at the survival mode mercy of the liver.  Then, make sure that no more than 5 hours pass during the day without eating.  If you ate like this:

8:00AM breakfast

1:00PM lunch

4:00PM snack

6:00PM dinner

11:00PM snack

3:00 AM snack

You would have 3 meals (all under your control) and 3 snacks (all under your control)

If you skipped breakfast and didn't snack (had lunch and dinner only), you would THINK you ate 2 meals, but you actually consumed 6 meals (4 of which were out of your control)

So there you have it.  For the majority of people struggling with weight, hypertension,  elevated cholesterol, blood sugar issues, the answer is NOT calories in – calories out.  The answer to weight loss and overall body health is in understanding the way your body (your Lamborghini) works and living in a way that matches the mechanics of your machine.

Learn more at www.themetabolismmiracle.com. 

THE CLOCK

By leaving this one piece of information out of all weight loss diets, you are sure to lose/regain/lose/regain and keep the “weight loss industry” coffers filled to the brim.

The human body is a machine, a top of the line, expertly designed machine...like a Lamborghini.

When healthy, it works in a very precise and methodical way.  When the body is studied, it is possible to see the intricate connections between its systems.  Cells, organs, glands, hormones, enzymes, muscles, bones: all connected and backing each other up.  There are survival mechanisms that immediately activate when the top tier mechanisms and actions don't work properly.  The mission of the entire body is to stay alive...at all costs.

With that said, there is an optimal fuel source for the body: blood sugar.  Blood sugar is normally derived from carbohydrate intake or glycogen stored in the liver and muscles.  Blood sugar can, if necessary, also be derived from the breakdown of protein and fat.  But...in the course of a normal day, blood glucose is derived from carbohydrate in foods and glycogen release from the liver and muscle.

The human body runs on a 5 hour clock.  Not just while you are awake, but around the clock.  Under normal circumstances, the carbohydrate you ingest has a life span of about 5 hours.  If you don't replace carbs in a meal or snack after the 5 hour mark, the brain sends a signal to the liver to release glycogen stores.  So...your blood sugar will stay in the normal range either from the carb you ingest or self feeding by the liver.  Most people are not aware of the 5 hour clock and the fact that after 5 hours pass without eating, the liver will self feed (survival mechanism).  The liver does not release a miniscule amount of glycogen...this is a survival mechanism and it releases a hefty dose.

Keep in mind the following:  Over 55% of the population over-responds to a rise in blood sugar with an excess release of the fat gain hormone, insulin.  Normally, when blood sugar rises from carb or liver release, the pancreas releases the precise correct amount of insulin to transport the glucose to the muscles and stores excess blood sugar as fat. The circulating blood sugar is left in the normal range. 

But, if you are in the majority of people, your pancreas will over-respond to a rise in blood sugar with EXCESS fat gain hormone.  Instead of the correct amount of insulin, you open excess fat cells and overprocess blood sugar into fat. This leaves the sugar in your blood stream lower than normal and the sugar stored in your fat cells higher than normal.  (fat stores around the middle, belly fat, back fat, muffin top and high cholesterol/triglycerides).

This resultant lower than normal blood sugar causes the brain to signal for you to "find and eat more carb."  If you do eat carb to answer the brain's plea, the excess insulin release,  excess sugar stored as fat, and resultant low blood sugar happens again.

If you ignore the brain, the liver will automatically release glycogen that will cause blood sugar to rise, excess release of insulin, and also result in excess sugar stored as fat, lower than normal blood sugar, and more cravings.

Now...what does this have to do with breakfast being the most important meal?

If the last meal you eat begins at 6PM and you force yourself not to snack in an effort to lose weight....you don't realize it, but every 5 hours after 6PM ...until you eat again....your liver will self feed meal after meal and trigger excess insulin release and excess fat storage.  So, you eat dinner at 6PM, but you are also quietly fed at 11PM, 4AM, 9AM without even knowing it. 

If you skip breakfast and don't eat until 1PM, you have no idea that you actually ate 4 times in the past 24 hours from self feeding by the liver.   So...you are eating at 6:00 PM (dinner), 11:00 PM (liver), 4:00 AM (liver),  9:00AM (liver), 12:00 lunch, 5:00 liver, 6:00 dinner...and the cycle continues.

In this study, when they talk about 2 meals/day...they are  not taking into account the other side of the coin...if a person does not eat, the liver will step up to the plate, and the majority of people struggling with weight, diabetes, hypertension, elevated cholesterol (those with metabolic syndrome) will forever be trapped in the cycle of obesity.

What does breakfast do?  It puts YOU in charge.  YOU can control what you eat at the meal instead of being at the survival mode mercy of the liver.  Then, make sure that no more than 5 hours pass during the day without eating.  If you ate like this:

8:00AM breakfast

1:00PM lunch

4:00PM snack

11:00PM snack

3:00 AM snack

You would have 3 meals (all under your control) and 3 snacks (all under your control)

If you skipped breakfast and didn't snack (had lunch and dinner only), you would THINK you ate 2 meals, but you actually consumed 6 meals (4 of which were out of your control)

So there you have it.  For the majority of people struggling with weight, hypertension,  elevated cholesterol, blood sugar issues, the answer is NOT calories in – calories out.  The answer to weight loss and overall body health is in understanding the way your body (your Lamborghini) works and living in a way that matches the mechanics of your machine.

Learn more at www.themetabolismmiracle.com.

Are Cheerios Really the Preferred Cereal to Lower Cholesterol?

This is a different format for a Whistle Blog .  Instead of spot- lighting a questionable diet/health  story that appeared in the media this week….I want to illustrate how VERY clever advertising can elevate an average product to a top seller…based on clever presentation.  In that regard, we’ll start The Whistle with factual, credible information about fiber.  The following is the real-deal…….no hype here:

Fiber Friendly Foods

Soluble Fiber vs Insoluble Fiber

Everyone has heard that there are tremendous benefits to increasing the fiber content of their diet.  The daily recommendation is over 25 grams of fiber/day.  As you look at total dietary fiber grams on a label, deduct the listed amount from the 25 grams/day recommendation.  So, a wrap containing 8 grams of fiber would leave you with about 17 more grams/day needed to meet the minimum.   

 Fiber not only promotes health, it also helps reduce the risk for some chronic diseases. For instance, fiber prevents constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. It is also linked to prevent some cancers especially colon cancer as it moves food through the GI tract instead of it sitting in the gut for longer periods of time.  (Unfortunately, many of our foods are exposed to chemicals, fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics that were never meant to sit in the GI tract.)  In addition, fiber helps lower LDL cholesterol and  total cholesterol thereby reducing the rise of heart disease. Fiber can also help lower blood sugar spikes as it does not convert to blood sugar and allows food to leave the stomach in controlled amounts .  Fiber is part of the total carb content of a food but does not translate into blood sugar and insulin requirements.

Types of Fiber: Soluble Fiber and Insoluble Fiber

There are two types of  fiber: soluble and insoluble.  Both types go undigested and neither enters the bloodstream.  Although some food companies choose to show the grams of soluble and insoluble fiber separately, both types are very beneficial. Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid.  I think of it as a sponge that soaks up and carries waste “out the door” and moves bulk along through the intestines.   Insoluble fiber passes through our intestines largely intact. I think of insoluble fiber as a toothbrush that travels down the intestines cleaning as it moves along. 

Insoluble Fiber Its Functions:  Promotes the development of bulkier stool to help prevent constipation.  Helps balance the pH in the intestines forming a  healthy GI environment and preventing microbes from producing cancerous substances. Helps move toxins through the colon in less time Best Food Sources of Insoluble Fiber Vegetables like green beans and dark green leafy vegetables Skins from fruit or potatoes Whole wheat products Wheat bran, corn bran Nuts Seeds Soluble Fiber Its Functions: Lowers total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol Helps decrease blood sugar spikes Binds with fatty acids Food Sources of Soluble Fiber Oat bran and oats Dried beans and peas (legumes) Nuts Barley Flax seed Psyllium husk

Just a note:

When you are choosing a food based on fiber content, look for total fiber grams.  There is no need to separate soluble or insoluble fiber as they are both very healthful.  And…many foods: oats, oat bran, psyllium husk, and flax seeds are high in soluble and insoluble fiber. 

Now that you have read facts about fiber….let’s take a look at a product that capitalizes on ITS fiber content as it relates to lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease….CHEERIOS

The Cheerios boxes used in advertising  have a banner across the front of the box that reads:  HELPS LOWER CHOLESTEROL.  The presentation of the product is built around how adding Cheerios to a healthy diet will help lower cholesterol and decrease heart disease.  The bowl of cereal is pictured inside the outline of a heart.  Commercials are “heart warming” and show families of young children and their parents or grandparents.  Ask any TV-watching child to point to the box of cereal that tastes great AND is “good” for their parents’ and grandparents’ hearts….and they will automatically point to a box of Cheerios. 

We have been programmed to equate Cheerios with heart health. ….as if there is something very special about the box of cereal that will make us healthier.

SEE VIDEO BELOW

 

But is CHEERIOS really “special” in its ability to lower cholesterol…is it better than other cereal choices?  Or….has a perfect marketing campaign been devised to steer consumers to buy a cereal they “believe” is in their best interest, exclusive of other choices, for heart health? 

From the beginning of this article, you already know that the type of fiber recommended to lower cholesterol is soluble fiber.  With that in mind, I checked out the soluble fiber content of cereals.  The serving sizes of each is comparable:

 1 cup All Bran  “Bran Buds”  = 9 grams soluble fiber

1 packet Weight Control Oatmeal = 4 grams soluble fiber

1 cup Oat Bran Flakes = 3 grams soluble fiber

½ cup dry Oatmeal  =  2 grams soluble fiber

1 cup Fiber One Cereal = 2 grams soluble fiber

1 cup Raisin Bran Cereal = 1.3 grams soluble fiber

1 cup Wheat Chex = 1 gram soluble fiber

1 cup Cheerios = 1 gram soluble fiber

1 packet Oatmeal = 1 gram soluble fiber

In 1 cup of Cheerios, there is 1 gram soluble fiber.  In fact, if you read the small print on their box,  in their advertising, on their website is the notification that it will take 3 servings of Cheerios….3 cups/day…to give you 3 grams of soluble fiber.   This is the amount that might make a small difference in your cholesterol.  In order to get those 3 grams of soluble fiber (the amount that maximally dropped total cholesterol by 7 points)…you need to consume 3 bowls of cereal/day.

There is a growing school of thought, based on current research, that for many people, carbohydrate intake drives their LDL cholesterol  and triglycerides up and HDL cholesterol down.   If you look at having 3 cups of Cheerios and non fat milk, you will be adding over 80 grams of carbohydrate to your daily carb intake

I have three comments:  

I am not a believer that any cereal with or without fat free milk will significantly lower cholesterol levels or lessen the risk for heart disease….In fact, I believe adding 3 cups of any cereal to your day significantly increases your carbohydrate intake and can actually increase blood sugar, insulin release that leads to higher LDL cholesterol and triglycerides

I believe there are many sources of soluble fiber , many with much higher amounts than Cheerios…and there is no reason to separate Cheerios as a cereal that will improve your cholesterol or lower risk of heart disease.

  Finally, the person who headed the marketing campaign that spotlights Cheerios as THE cereal that makes your heart healthier…..deserves to be sitting on the beach with an umbrella drink.  Cheers!!!!!

Pink Slime….The Cow is Out of The Bag

Even as the National School Lunch Program rifles through students’ bagged lunches to make certain that what their parents packed for lunch is “approved”….new information shows what is being quietly served on your child’s school lunch tray

PINK SLIME.  The name sounds as bad as it is.  And.. chances are you’ve unknowingly consumed it hundreds of times since it was quietly added to our food supply over 10 years ago. 

McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, and many grocery stores have vowed to stop using it (now that the cow is out of the bag).  But….unbelievably, The USDA will continue buying pink slime containing ground beef products to be served to our children as part of the “National School Lunch Program.” 

 

Let’s talk about pink slime, shall we?

Pink slime is listed on ground beef labels as “lean finely textured beef.”  (That actually sounds healthy, doesn’t it?).  What is it?  An ammonia treated burger extender made from fatty left over meat trimmings, beef scraps, cow connective tissues…the parts of beef that were once used in dog food and cooking fat. 

The process involves heating the scraps to about 100 degrees F and spinning them to remove most of the fat.  What’s left is connective tissue and assorted as sundry none- fat scraps.  The slimy product is sprayed with ammonium hydroxide gas to kill bacteria, formed into blocks or chips, and frozen.  See, it turns out that the waste products are more highly apt to contain E.Coli and Salmonella so that handy spray of ammonia helps kill the bacteria.  Does ammonia show up on the label for this meat product?  No, the FDA allows the ammonia to be labeled as an undisclosed “processing agent.”  What a tangled web we weave……

It is estimated that at least 50% of our ground beef supply contains pink slime.

This year, the USDA has contracted to buy 111.5 MILLION pounds of ground beef for the National School Lunch Program.  About 7 MILLION pounds of “lean finely textured beef” will be among those pounds.  And, even though fast food restaurants and grocery stores won’t be using the product, the USDA will give the School Lunch Program the option to use the pink slime burgers or purchase non-pink slime containing burgers. 

Why would a school choose the pink slime burgers?  They are less expensive and cost saving, of course!  The idea that school children are being served this beef “product” without their parent’s knowledge but with the full consent of the USDA and National School Lunch Program is beyond me.

Despite the ammonia spraying, E.Coli and Salmonella are still found in the “lean finely textured beef.”  Hence, outbreaks of E.coli that have still caused recalls of tons of beef in the past 10 years.  And the strains of E.coli are more deadly than ever:

Why is E.Coli such a concern these days?  I don’t remember hearing about it years ago.  Well, the answer lies in the very large demand for beef.  E.Coli originates from the digestive tracts of cattle.  Cattle are meant to be fed grass..but due to demand, farms skip the grazing and feed the cattle a daily intake of antibiotic treated grain.  Grain is not the appropriate food for cattle.  The manure produced by the cattle ends up seeping into the ground and water supply.  (That’s how mass E.coli happens regarding vegetables).  Healthy animals are fed so many antibiotics that E.Coli and salmonella are developing resistance to them.

The FDA must make a ruling on a lawsuit brought last year by the Natural Resources Defense Council to decide if routinely feeding healthy farm animals antibiotics constitutes a threat to humans.  It’s a bet that the very strong meat and drug industries will put the pressure on the FDA to keep antibiotic dosing in effect.

So…The process of heating and spinning the left over trimming, connective tissue, etc to form a low fat paste that could be sprayed with ammonia to kill its higher than typical E.Coli content could “extend” burger making it cheaper for fast food industries and groceries and the USDA to purchase for the National School Lunch program.  All this done without the public’s knowledge.  And now, when even fast food and grocers are willing to say “no more”…the USDA continues to say YES to pink slime for our kids.

The Skinny on Liposuction: Is surgically vacuuming away unwanted fat cells the fast and final answer to finally losing unwanted body fat?

Catherine is a very attractive woman.  She arrived for her appointment with her shiny blonde hair in a chic chignon; she wore a black turtleneck top, figure flattering slacks, and black suede pumps.  Her “look” showed she paid attention to detail in her understated yet well chosen accessories and smart use of make-up.  Catherine was a woman whose appearance mattered very much to her, and it showed.

For a moment, my mind returned to the labwork that was spread out on the desk between us.  I remember seeing her elevated glucose, high total and LDL cholesterol, and I knew she took medication for blood pressure.  I didn’t expect to see a woman with a figure like this to match those labs.  Quite frankly, I expected my 68 year old female patient to be overweight, a little out of shape, and in need of a weight loss program, STAT. 

She sat down and looked in my eyes.  “I know you must be wondering why I’m here.”  (I own a private practice in medical nutrition therapy specializing in weight loss, metabolic syndrome, pre diabetes and type 2 diabetes). “ My friends can’t believe I’m seeking help from a dietitian…I mean look at me, right?”

I remember thinking….you do look great, but your labs absolutely need improvement…..so  I let her continue.  What Catherine did next shocked me.  She stood up, unzipped her slacks, let them drop to the floor.  She lifted her top and showed me that under her “Spanx” camisole….on her upper back…was a roll of fat.  She faced me and next pointed to a distinct roll of fat…way up under her breasts, and a much more pronounced roll at  the top of her thighs.  It was honestly very weird to look at….very unnatural deposits of fat in very unusual places.    It was hidden under her spandex…. but it WAS there….and quite noticeable.

Thankfully, I already knew that Catherine’s  lab work proved she had Metabolism B.  Millions of people have Met B and are over-producers of insulin (a fat gain hormone).  Those with Met B typically have progressive issues with fatigue, focus/concentration, midline fat stores, mild depression, irritability, carb craving as well as progressively increasing glucose, lipids, and blood pressure.  Catherine had the labs and many of the symptoms but did not “appear” to have the body to match those labs…until she showed me what was going on underneath. 

Her eyes  began to tear up as she spoke.  “I’ve had several procedures in recent years to banish this fat.  I resorted to surgery only after the fasts, cleanses, starvation diets, liquid diets, medically supervised diets, WW, Jenny Craig failed me.  I exercised daily, had a personal trainer…did all I could do….but nothing got rid of the belly fat, the muffin top.”  “  In desperation, I decided to have liposuction. The surgeon suggested I try to lose the belly fat before the surgery, but it was impossible.  I was thrilled when the surgery was over….he had removed pounds of fat from my tummy and muffin top…my major problem areas”

In the case of liposuction, fat cells are “sucked” out of the body….think of a small vacuum tube inserted through small laparoscopic incisions removing fat cells as the surgeon directs its placement.  Fat cells are removed from the area of the liposuction.  Interesting thing about fat cells….when they are removed, they don’t grow back and replace themselves.  Once they are removed, they are removed.  That almost sounds too good to be true, right?  Catherine couldn’t diet or exercise away the fat, but she could have it removed once and for all.  Sounds promising right?

Not so fast….While  it’s true that fat cells don’t increase in number or replace themselves if they are removed.  But…it’s also true that fat cells will increase in size when we gain weight and decrease in size when we lose weight.  Catherine mistakenly thought her liposuction effectively removed the bane of her existence…the roll of fat round her middle. Gone gone and gone.

Well, no no and no.  As time progressed, Catherine began to notice the area directly above and directly below the area that had undergone lipo suction was getting larger.  At first she thought it was a figment of her imagination, but over time…it was obvious.

Time passed, Catherine returned to the plastic surgeon who recommended a little “clean up.”  When Catherine returned home after her second liposuction, she assumed she had finally won the battle of the bulge.  Unfortunately, the story did not end there.  As time passed, the scenario repeated itself.   After one more lipo AND a tummy tuck……Catherine was now in my office.  A 68 year old woman with an odd roll of fat directly under her breasts, on her upper back, and on her upper thighs.

Here’s the important message about liposuction and fat regain.  Millions of people have Metabolism B.  Met B is a hormonal imbalance of the fat gain hormone, insulin.  Insulin attaches itself to receptors on fat cells so they can store blood sugar.  I know that Catherine has Met B from her medical history: high glucose, high LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure as well as low HDL cholesterol, low Vitamin D.  She makes excess insulin that makes her fatter around the middle.  When fat cells are removed, the excess insulin moves on to other fat cells and opens them for storage.  So….as fast as her fat cells were removed, her insulin found another place to connect!

The issue wasn’t in removing fat cells, it was and always will be in controlling her insulin! 

I taught Catherine a diet program that works directly on balancing her insulinHer fat stores began to shrink in size and her glucose, lipids, blood pressure , and Vitamin D normalized.  When I next saw her (8 weeks later) she still looked F A B U L O U S …as always….but she was also on the road to losing her “problem” fat and regaining her health and well-being.

Sometimes the answer IS too good to be true…..in this case…..the answer is in a change in diet/lifestyle to match a particular type of metabolism.  Try this before you begin a series of ineffective liposuctions.

Read more on Metabolism B at : www.themetabolismmiracle.com.

A low dose coated aspirin a day may keep cancer spread at bay? Bring it on!

Most people are aware of the recommendation involving the use of a coated baby aspirin (75mg-81mg)  in the war against heart attacks and many people who have had a heart attack or stroke take one enteric coated baby aspirin/day to help decrease the risk of another infarct. 

But have you heard that aspirin may have a role in decreasing the spread of cancer?

Three new British studies suggest that after taking aspirin for 3 to 4 years, there starts to be a reduction in the number of people with the spread of cancers.  Lead researcher Dr. Peter M. Rothwell (University of Oxford and John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford feels there is potential for aspirin to be used in the treatment of cancers.

In the past, investigators showed that daily use of aspirin taken over 10 years prevented the spread of some cancers.  It seemed that aspirin may work against cancer by inhibiting platelets that cause clotting and also help cancer cells spread.

In recent studies, Rothwell's team looked at the effect of aspirin on slowing the spread of cancer, or metastasis.

They obtained their data regarding cancer from five clinical trials that were already looking at low dose aspirin and heart attack/stroke prevention.  The researchers also focused attention on patients who developed cancer.

Over more than six years of follow-up, low-dose aspirin reduced the risk of distant spread or metastasis by 36 percent, compared with cancer patients receiving a placebo.

Moreover, aspirin reduced the risk of metastasis in solid tumors, such as colon, lung and prostate cancer, by 46 percent and by 18 percent for cancers of the bladder and kidney.

For those who continued to take aspirin after a cancer diagnosis, the risk of metastasis was cut by 69 percent, the researchers calculated.

Aspirin also reduced the risk of dying from cancer by about half. These risk reductions remained after taking into account age and sex, the researchers said.

Although most people would find these findings uplifting, “not so fast” says Nancy R. Cook, an associate biostatistician at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston and co-author of an accompanying journal editorial. She pointed out that these studies only dealt with trials where aspirin was given daily, whereas two large trials in which aspirin was given every other day found no connection with cancer prevention.

"Aspirin seems to work for people who have had a history of cardiovascular disease. Perhaps in the long-term it will turn out to be protective for cancer, but we need to verify that and get more information," Cook said.

And, aspirin is not benign, Cook said, pointing out risks for bleeding and other gastrointestinal problems.

“People should not start taking aspirin hoping to preventing cancer, Cook said. "Most of the studies show that the effect doesn't accrue until after 10 years," she noted.

On the flip side, Eric Jacobs, strategic director of pharmacoepidemiology for the American Cancer Society, said that "this study provides important new evidence that long-term daily aspirin, even at low doses, may lower risk of developing cancer."

However, any decision about treatment should be made on an individual basis in consultation with a doctor, he said.

Okay, I am chomping at the bit to comment here.  In a world where distant organ metastasis of cancer almost brings a death sentence….I am thrilled with the possibility that something as simple as taking an enteric coated low dose aspirin DAILY may actually decrease the chance of a future cancer spreading or may cut the risk of dying of cancer by 50%.

Ms. Cook points out that studies in which people took aspirin every other day did not provide the same results.  Then, with your MD’s okay, take the aspirin daily!!!   She points out that it may take years for aspirin to have this anti-metastatic benefit.  Doesn’t it make sense to start tomorrow, then? 

If the negative effects of low dose aspirin therapy are possible bleeding or GI upset, irritation….absolutely consult with your MD before starting an aspirin regimen.  With medical approval, take a low dose aspirin, make it coated or enteric, and get started.  It can make a life or death difference down the road.

A Can of Cola.... Toxic to Your Health? ... Or the Target of a Well-Orchestrated Financial Take-Down?

High fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and now a mysterious chemical called 4-MI.....is it true that your can of  soda may be wreaking havoc on your health?  Sweetened soft drinks have been linked to obesity and diabetes, and now a consumer protection group is linking soda to CANCER.  Is it true that soda is the root of many health issues or  are soft drinks unfairly singled out in a plan to target the corn and sugar industries?

Click here to read article

Click here to read article #2

Regular Soda

Soda and sugary soft drinks have been on the “naughty” list for years.  Recently, the soda industry has been slammed for its use of high fructose corn syrup (sugar) as a sweetener and has been directly linked to the epidemic of obesity, especially as it pertains to childhood obesity.  Soda vending machines are banned from schools.   Is high- fructose corn syrup really the root of obesity?

The fact is, regardless of the sugar source chosen to sweeten soda,  it would have the same physiological effect as high-fructose corn syrup:  whether beet, cane, or corn sugar, agave nectar, fructose, or honey were the sweetener of choice  in soft drinks, the physiological impact on the human body would be the same.  So, to single out corn syrup as a villain is just plain...wrong.

Something else that is just plain wrong.  Did you know that 12 ounces of Coca-Cola Classic contains 39 grams of carbohydrate from sugar and 12 ounces of orange juice also contains 39 grams of carbohydrate from sugar.  They BOTH contain the equivalent of 10 tsp of sugar.  Granted, the OJ also contains vitamins....but in terms of contribution to obesity?  THEY ARE EQUAL.  Even more interesting: 12 ounces of prune juice contains the equivalent of 17 tsp of sugar.   The carb may come from fructose and not high-fructose corn syrup...but let’s call it like it is....the soda, OJ, and prune juice are all 100% carb sweetened with different sugars that have the same calories/gram and behave  the same way in the body.

Sugar Free Soda

So, after learning that a 12 ounce can of soda contained about 10 tsp of sugar,  some people switched  to sugar free versions of their favorite beverage.  It didn’t take long for the media to perpetuate the story that like regular soda, diet soda ALSO caused weight gain.  They provided all sorts of “reasons” why diet soda would cause weight gain...including the idea that the sweetness of diet soda made a person crave more sweet things.   When the dust settled, it was decided that it was not diet soda, but what people were eating with the diet soda that was causing weight gain.  (Have you ever been at a fast food restaurant and heard a customer ordering a Big Mac, large fries,  apple pie and a diet soda? )

Brown Colored Soda?

Yesterday came the coup de grace in the maligning of soft drinks.  The “C” word...cancer....was attached to the caramel coloring used in colas, root beer, Dr. Pepper.  The “big guns” have been drawn in the war against soft drinks.  Big guns for Big business...in 2009, 9.4 billion cases of soft drinks were sold in the US alone with the average American drinking 708 12 oz. cans of soda/year.

Are these dire warnings and dramatic “research studies” making a difference in the consumption of soft drinks?  Since 1998...when we first began to hear about high fructose corn syrup and its link to obesity and type 2 diabetes,  ....per-capita soda consumption is down 16%.  Many people are heeding the message.  But is the message valid?

If we are going to site very high sugar intake as a cause of obesity....then we have to site ALL high carb foods as all carb foods turn 100% into blood sugar and have the same effect in the body.  There should also be warnings targeting  bagels, soft pretzels, muffins, fries, baked potatoes, legumes like chick peas and lentils, rice, pasta, fruit, yogurt, milk, juice, bread...and the list goes on and on.  ALL carbs turn to blood sugar.  No one kind of carb has less calories or more calories/gram than another. 

In February, The CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest), a consumer watchdog group, petitioned the FDA to ban ammonia-sulfite caramel coloring in brown sodas such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi.  The chemical in question is 4-MI (4-methylimidazole).  4-MI is  formed when sugar  mixes with ammonia and sulfates to create caramel coloring.  The CSPI claims that 4-MI is an animal carcinogen.

The agency went so far as to state that Coke and Pepsi (with the knowledge of the FDA) are needlessly exposing people to cancer risk.

The FDA doesn’t agree stating that soda still contains far too little 4-MI to pose much of a cancer risk adding that a consumer would have to drink over 1000 cans of soda every day to reach the doses administered to rats in the studies that linked 4-MI to cancer in rats.

The FDA limit for 4-MI in caramel coloring is 250 parts per million and Reuters calculated that the highest levels of 4-MI found by the CSPI were about 0.4 parts per million which means it would be highly unlikely that a person could consume enough 4-MI to increase the risk of cancer. . In fact, findings of regulatory agencies worldwide, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, European Food Safety Authority and Health Canada, consider caramel coloring safe for use in foods and beverages.

And even the CSPI admitted that soda drinkers should be “much more worried about the high fructose corn syrup and other sugars in sodas which contribute to obesity and diabetes”. 

For the record, the caramel coloring in soda is purely cosmetic...it has nothing to do with the taste.  Back in the 1990’s, Crystal Pepsi was introduced.  It was Pepsi without the caramel coloring.  It flopped.  Consumers want their colas to be brown in color.  In my opinion, there has to be another way to naturally add brown color without the 4-MI in caramel coloring.  If an alternate ingredient choice were used, it would silence this “charge” immediately. 

But...the consumer groups have chosen to focus attention and millions of dollars maligning soft drinks.  I can’t say that I am a fan of soda...I’m not.  But it’s time to call a spade a spade.  Someone seems to have an axe to grind with the corn and sugar industries....

In the words of the CSPI:  "Soda drinkers should be much more concerned about the high-fructose corn syrup or other sugars used in soft drinks," the CSPI statement said. "Soda drinkers are much more likely than non-soda drinkers to develop weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and other health problems." 

Guess we’ve come full circle….high fructose corn syrup….. again…………