RPM Campaigns Blog

Archive for January, 2009

From a western nutritional perspective, we know that including an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats helps to strengthen our overall health, improve cardiovascular health, and create strong immunity systems.

A Chinese nutritional perspective embraces those ideals and expands the role of food as medicine in acknowledging that certain types of food have specific resonances with the energies of the immunity system and our abilities to release carcinogenic pathogens, and give support to the body to recover from surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

Turnips

This remarkable yet common healing food has an impact on all 12 meridians (energy pathways in the body) to help us move out pathogens and detoxify the body.

Turnips in the diet can provide support to people who are going through chemotherapy or radiation therapies or for those who need to detoxify stress chemicals that form as we respond to everyday life.

In Asian countries, soups are made of turnip, carrots and cabbage to help strengthen the immunity system and heal from viruses, bacterial infections and other pathogens. A cup or two of this type of soup 4-7 times a week, can strengthen the internal organs and promote a vibrant flow of energy throughout the body. When our energy flows smoothly and without obstructions, disease cannot exist.

You can make this soup easily by using a base of 4 cups of organic chicken broth (low sodium or organic vegetable broth), 3 large turnips diced, 3 large carrots diced, and 1/2 cup of white cabbage. Add in 1-2 tsp of toasted garlic, 1 small purple onion, 2 tsp of fennel seed, and 2 stalks of finely chopped organic celery for flavor.

Bring to boil, then simmer for one hour.

Lycopene Rich Foods

Lycopene is similar to beta carotene, a powerful anti-oxidant that helps to prevent cancer. Lycopene occurs naturally in the prostate and declines with age. However, we can help to support healthy levels of lycopene through diet.

Foods rich in lycopene include red vegetables and fruit, especially cooked or processed tomatoes. Other foods include pink grapefruit (check for interactions with certain cancer and other medications), watermelons, apricots, and pink guava.

However, before you rush out to buy lycopene supplements, you should also be aware that the efficacy of supplements of lycopene and high consumption of lycopene rich foods has been questioned by the FDA after examining data from 107 observational studies and 23 studies that included blood analysis.

The FDA stated that consuming lycopene supplements or high amounts of lycopene rich foods does not have a significant impact on prostate health and cancer. The FDA’s position on this issue was reported in the Journal of Cancer Institute (July 10, 2007) issue.

Yet, anecdotal clinical evidence exists of clients improving their PSA levels (levels that indicate the health of the prostate) by adding lycopene rich foods to their diets.

From a Chinese nutritional perspective, lycopene and other anti-oxidants are not magic bullets. Instead, it is thought that the presence of anti-oxidants such as lycopene, in combination with other nutritional and energetic properties of foods, can be a powerful tool in helping the body to detoxify and protect against cancer. This is why it is important to take a balanced approach and integrate a wide variety of foods in the diet.

Similarly, the American Cancer Society advocates a diet comprised of a wide variety of foods as opposed to being excessive with any one food or taking high levels of anti-oxidant supplements.

Pumpkin Seeds

This simple food appears to diminish the triggering of prostate cell multiplication by testosterone and DHT (dihydrotestosterone-a conversion product of testosterone). As a result, pumpkin seeds may help to prevent enlargement of the prostate gland.

Pumpkin seeds help to create healthier cholesterol levels, and protect bones by providing a source of zinc (low levels are associated with more hip fractures and osteoporosis) .

Sprinkle raw pumpkin seeds over salads, into soups and over other favorite foods. For added flavor, you might wish to toast the seeds but the nutritional value is higher when eaten raw.

Organic Chicken

In the Chinese nutritional system, chicken helps to strengthen the internal organs of the kidneys, said to rule our reproductive organs on an energy level. Organic chicken is free of hormones, antibiotics and pesticides, and helps to detoxify the body. Chicken is also a lean source of protein.

Include other lean organic meats and fresh produce to further reduce toxins in the diet.

Affordable sources of organic produce and some meats are available at local farmer’s markets. Also, you may wish to join a community garden to obtain the freshest sources economically and help others partake of organic foods.

Drink Healing Beverages

Decaf green tea, chrysanthemum tea, barley tea, red clover, and saw palmetto tea: All of these natural teas are rich in anti-oxidants and have detoxifying properties.

Chrysanthemum has a cooling, detoxifying effect. When combined with a small amount of decaf green tea, cinnamon and ginger, chrysanthemum can help quell nausea from chemotherapy and radiation therapies.

Trained Chinese herbalists often combine chrysanthemum with other herbs to create a decoction or tea that helps to heal prostate cancer.

Foods to Avoid

Decrease the level of sugar, caffeine, and fat in your diet, particularly trans-fatty acids. Read labels. When you see the word” hydrogenated,” that is a clue that trans-fatty acids are present. All of these foods create excessive heat in the body on an energy level. Since the energy of cancer is hot, if we diminish foods that feed heat, we can also protect our bodies against cancer.

Similarly, chemotherapy and radiation are also hot in nature. By reducing hot natured foods in our diet, we can empower ourselves to minimize the side effects of these types of treatments and detoxify the body.

Eliminate sugar substitutes such as sucralose (Splenda) and aspartame (Nutrasweet). Although many studies have produced data which suggest that these sugar substitute sweeteners are safe for regular human consumption, these products do not contain properties that heal the internal organs.

Also eliminate sweeteners which contain saccharin, which studies have found is associated with certain health risks such as birth defects and cancer.

Stevia is an all natural sweetener that is appropriate for diabetics or others who are trying to eliminate sugar. Stevia Rebaudiana is an herb in the chrysanthemum family which provides natural sweetness without raising glucose levels in diabetics, and contains properties which are said to help balance high blood pressure, help balance the pancreas, and reduce stomach acidity.

Please note that information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical conditions. Please consult with your medical physician before implementing any new dietary changes when recovering from prostate health challenges.

Could this be the end of travelers pandiculating in the streets? Relax parents, this term is Rated G and means yawning and stretching. This is a ‘family’ article

At present, there is no F.D.A. (Food and Drug Administration) approved drug against jet lag, but that may change soon. The pharmaceutical company Cephalon is seeking FDA approval of their drug Nuvigil for jet lag. This would give travelers an option to reduce the effect of jet lag, which is more intense when traveling eastward across several time zones.

Jet lag can set travelers back a few days, if they don’t adequately prepare for the time zone change. If you have jet lag on a short trip, then you might miss most of it as you may be asleep and awake at the wrong times. If you are a business traveler on a 2 day trip packed with business meetings and sales calls, then you don’t want jet lag on your itinerary. A safe drug that really worked could be useful here.

Of course, there is a ‘behind the scenes story’ here, as reported in The New York Times. Nuvigil, already approved for other sleep disturbances, has a patent which expires in 2024. Cephalon is aiming for Nuvigil to take on the role of a closely related drug, Provigil, which will face competition from generics in 2012. The company would benefit if current or potential Provigil users, would take Nuvigil instead. And, with an official jet lag indication from the F.D.A., pharmaceutical representatives would be permitted to market the drug to nearly any physician, rather than only to sleep specialists.

Will physicians prescribe Nuvigil, a prescription medicine with potential side effects, for a benign condition like jet lag, particularly when there are safe available techniques?

Travel doctors typically recommend many risk free strategies to minimize jet lag:

o Avoid caffeine for a few days prior to departure.
o Stay well hydrated during your flight
o Sleep during flight when it’s bedtime at your destination
o Adjust your sleeping and waking times a few days before departure so your pre-departure schedule will mimic your destination time zone.
o Adjust to the new time zone on arrival. No midday naps!
o Consider melatonin supplements, not proven but used by many travelers.

What is our opinion? We’re skeptical that Nuvigil will be a magic bullet to transform travelers from stupor into a razor sharp state of alertness. Let’s see what the F.D.A. has to say about it. We will be following and will keep you posted.

The average cost of LASIK surgery varies, depending on various factors, and the prices are always quoted per eye. The prices normally quoted are indicative, as the actual cost will depend on your requirement for more extensive correction or more follow-up after the surgery. Though you may find LASIK surgeries advertised for $500, they are not performed, under any circumstances, for less than $1000 per eye.

The average cost of LASIK surgery has been rising regularly, mainly because of the introduction of newer technologies and surgical procedures. Also, various surgeons perform different types of pre-operative tests, pushing up the cost of LASIK.

New Technologies and Cost of LASIK With the advent of newer technologies, the average cost of LASIK surgery has gone up. LASIK with IntraLase is much more expensive than LASIK with Microkeratome. In the IntraLase procedure the LASIK flap is created by a laser, where as in Microkeratome, the surgeon wields a fine blade to carry out the procedure. By using just this technology, the average cost per eye increases by $350.

There is a wide variation in the cost of equipments used for testing and operating. Technologies and equipment for tear film analysis, tracking, and measurements of corneal thickness, corneal topography, as well as the excimer laser itself, are available at varying prices, and this reflects on the average cost of LASIK surgery. The fee for refractive surgery includes:

- Lease and maintenance of the laser, microkeratome, corneal ring segments and other equipment that may be required.

-Microkeratome blades, medication, gowns, masks, gloves and other items used during surgery.

- Royalty to the excimer laser manufacturer towards cost of development.

- Royalty for the procedures used, depending on the laser manufacturer.

- Overhead for the office and surgical staff salaries, rent, office equipment, and office administration.

- The surgeon’s fee.

- Insurance.

- Other miscellaneous expenses.

Today, the average cost of LASIK surgery per eye, is around $2000 to $2500, depending on the condition of your affliction, the procedures to be followed, the pre-surgery tests, surgery, and re-surgery, if required. Discuss the total costs involved with your ophthalmologist, before deciding on the surgery.

As we age our eyes are vulnerable to three different medical problems. The most serious is age related macular degeneration or AMD. This disease is due to cell degeneration in the macula, that part of the eye which controls central vision. Another problem that accompanies aging is the development of cataracts. A cataract is due to free radical damage, which causes a cloud over the lens.

Older people are also prone to dry eye syndrome since, in the aging process, our eyes become less efficient in producing tears.

Dry eye syndrome does not interfere with vision but it is painful. Cataracts can be successfully removed in outpatient surgery and vision is restored. However, macular degeneration cannot be reversed; it is a chronic problem.

So as we age, it is important to make nutritional choices which will ward off these diseases and protect our vision. It is just as important that we avoid the foods, which may help impair our vision.

Two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin are present in large quantities in the retina and lens of the eye. Here, they act as antioxidants to shield our eyes from damaging free radicals. There has been several research studies performed on the value of these carotenoids in eye health.

On April 7, 2004, the North Chicago VA Medical Center stated in a press release that lutein had been proven to help prevent and even reverse the symptoms of AMD.

Both lutein and zeaxanthin are found in dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, collard green and other leafy greens. However, doctors are also advising that people increase their intake of these substances through supplementation some research studies demonstrated that to be effective in reversing symptoms of macular degeneration, the doses had to be higher than one can obtain from food consumption alone.

Eggs are also good sources of these antioxidants. A study was reported in the Journal of Nutrition which stated that thirty-three adults who ate one egg every day for five weeks had an increase of the carotenoids without any adverse effect on blood fats or cholesterol.

Beta-carotene, found in yellow and orange vegetables such as carrots, cantaloupes, pumpkin and squash is also important for normal vision and retinal health.

A mineral, which you need in your diet for optimal eye health, is zinc. This is readily available in fortified cereals, whole grains, legumes and nuts.

It is also important to eat fish, which contains the omega-3 fatty acid DHA. Fish has been found to be helpful for people with dry eye syndrome. Omega-3 is found in cold water fish such as salmon and black cod. People who are concerned about the mercury levels in fish should consider a fish oil supplement.

Finally, the antioxidant glutathione is necessary for lens health. However, this can’t be obtained from food. Your body manufactures this in your liver but first you must eat sulfur-containing foods such as onions, garlic, shallots and capers. However, some doctors recommend acquiring this as a supplement (250 mg. twice daily of alpha-lipoic acid).

What you don’t eat can be as important as what you do eat. It is recommended that you avoid trans fats, saturated fats, and foods made with sugar and flour. These foods can stress your liver and that will negatively impact your eye function. In other words, try to stay away from processed and fast foods.

While some of these recommendations have been beneficial for those having symptoms of various eye problems, you will realize greater benefits if you start while your eyes are still young and healthy.

Sadly, there are several household items which we tend to
take for granted that are potentially very hazardous to your
dog’s health. It is especially important to be aware of this because as
you know, dogs are very much scavengers and will often eat whatever
they can sink their fangs into. I would say that may own dog is more
like a mobile garbage disposal. It is also very important to be aware of
these items
since their sense of smell is so well developed that your pooch will be
able to find what you may think is well hidden.

One of these dangerous household items, it turns out, is simple
chocolate. While chocolate has been reported recently to be high in
human-friendly antioxidants,
it appears to be potentially lethal for our pets, and particularly for
our dogs. Cats are mostly unaffected since they do not care for the
taste of chocolate, but dogs tend to
be crazy about it. Certain breeds of dogs react indifferently to
chocolate. The root of the problem is that chocolate contains various
chemicals which are called methylxanthine alkaloids(sometypes have more of
these chemicals than others)

Sadly, relatively miniscule amounts of these chemicals are capable of
causing such serious problems as constriction of the arteries and an
increased heart rate. Large amounts may cause even more dire symptoms and
a pound of milk chocolate could possibly kill a sixteen pound dog.
If you find that your dog has eaten chocolate then by all means take
note of the it’s type and try to estimate the amount eaten. Then get on
the phone with a veternarian or an emergency facility. Be sure that your
children know how important it is to keep chocolate out of your dog’s
reach.

If you are not aware that your dog has consumed chocolate, the
consequences could be severe. If consumption is not found within 4 to 6 hours
without the right treatment, cardiac failure, seizures, coma and death
could result, according to veternarian Dr. Jane Bicks.
In addition to seemingly innocent chocolate, there are a number of
other common household items that may seem safe for our dogs but that can
be downright dangerous.

Some mushrooms, for example, can produce abdominal pain, liver andd
kidney damage and amenia. So be aware of wild mushrooms when you are out
walking your dog in wooded areas. Garlic may seem benign but can cause
vomiting, liver damage, anemia and diarrhea so do not give your pet baby
food since it can contain garlic.

Anti-freeze can shut down your dog’s kidney and they tend to love the
taste. Miscletoe can cause vomiting, abdominal pain and depression.
Onions can causeliver damage, anemia and diarrhea. Onion can also sometimes
be found in baby food. Cats are actually somewhat more sensitive to
this one so keep out of the reach of both.

Coffee, like cocoa, is especially dangerous, and may cause heart rate
increase, diarrhea, seizures, coma, death. Caffeine just does not have
the same effect in dogs.

When outside be careful around apple and cherry trees. While the fruit
is safe, the leaves and roots are not.

And be very careful about Moth Balls. it’s primary chemical naphthalene
is extremely toxic to dogs and can result in tremors and seizures.
Concerning dog food, you should be looking for dyes
and other chemicals, according to Dr. Jane
BHA, for instance, which is one of the main synthetic
antioxidant preservatives used to prevent food
discoloration, has been observed to cause cancer in laboratory
rats at certain doses. Small doses are as yet unclear but since dog
food is eaten every day caution is advised.
Many conventional dog food brands have large quantities of sodium to
make them palatable, and this can be quite harmful to a dog.
Other ingredients to wary of are dairy, by-products, chemical
preservatives and artificial colors.

The goal of treating reactive hypoglycemia (also know as low blood glucose) is to raise the blood glucose to a safe level: above 70 mg/dl. The treatment of a reactive hypoglycemia episode is to eat or drink 15 grams of carbohydrate. Fifteen grams of carbohydrate will often raise your blood glucose level 50-75 mg in 15 minutes – this is called the 15/15 guideline.

Steps for the 15/15 guideline for reactive hypoglycemia

If you suspect your blood glucose is low, there is a good chance that you are under a spell of reactive hypoglycemia. Check your blood glucose with a glucose meter, if one is available to make sure it is not reactive hypoglycemia. If you are feeling quite low and are uneasy about your feelings, skip this step.

Eat or drink 15 grams of carbohydrate and wait 15 minutes for this food or beverage to raise your blood glucose. 15 minutes may seem like a long time, but patience is needed for reactive hypoglycemia. If you consume more carbohydrate than needed, you will then experience the opposite of reactive hypoglycemia: a high blood glucose level. Also, overtreating reactive hypoglycemia by eating more than necessary can lead to weight gain.

After 15 minutes, check your blood glucose again to be sure it is up above 70 mg/dl. If not, you might be suffering from severe reactive hypoglycemia or moderate reactive hypoglycemia. Eat or drink another 15 grams of carbohydrate. Again wait 15 minutes and recheck your blood glucose. When your blood glucose is above 70 go to step 4.

If you next meal is more than 1 hour away, eat another 15 grams of carbohydrate to prevent a relapse of reactive hypoglycemia. Do this before you eat your meal.

Keep records of your reactive hypoglycemia episodes

Keeping records of your reactive hypoglycemia episodes will help you and your diabetes care team to figure out the best treatment guidelines for you in different situations, and help prevent another episode of reactive hypoglycemia.