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AUTHOR & BOOK VIEWS ON A HEALTHY LIFE Copyright: Copyright 2006-2008 All Rights Reserved Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:34:10 +0100
He is the author of The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: What Treatments Work and Why, the Amazon best-seller The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, and his latest, The Healthiest Meals on Earth, books that have been endorsed and acclaimed by such luminaries as Mehmet Oz, MD, Christiane Northrup, MD and Mark Victor Hansen and a virtual who’s who in the field of integrative medicine and nutrition. Coming in January, 2009, 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy. For more information about products, services and coaching as well as a free newsletter and audiocourses, please visit him at www.jonnybowden.com The studies come in on omega-3's and pregnancy almost daily. We already know that kids with almost any behavioral malady you can think of have lower levels of omega-3's. Murderers, for gods sake, have low levels of omega-3's. People with attention issues, vision issues, memory issues, circulation issues, you name it, have low levels of omega-3's. As Robert Crayhon once said, if I could make one change to the diet of America that would have the greatest good for the greatest number, it would be to make sure that every pregnant woman in America takes omega-3's. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:12:23 +0100 There are plenty of things parents of teens hope never happen to their children. Drug or alcohol abuse. Serious injury or death in an accident. Terminal illness. One that’s probably small on the radar screen is having to suddenly commit your teen to a mental hospital. That is exactly what Michael Greenberg faced when his 15-year-old daughter was, as he puts it, “struck mad” on July 5, 1996. Hurry Down Sunshine details his family’s experiences in dealing with her seemingly sudden bipolar disorder. Of course, hints of Sally’s problem, once called manic depression, existed before she her psychotic break. She’d spent several weeks reading and studying Shakespeare sonnets and fervently scribbling in the margins and her journals. Her ultimate “crack-up” finds her in a manic state on the streets of Greenwich Village, desperate to share what others cannot see: that we are all born with genius but society suppresses it as we grow older. Although Greenberg initially believed it a drug-induced episode, his wife feels it’s more serious and calls a therapist, who recommends taking Sally to an emergency room. Greenberg does so and by the end of the day Sally is committed to the mental ward of a Manhattan hospital. Without going into extensive details of Sally’s treatment, Greenberg takes the reader inside the mental ward. He introduces us to a variety of individuals and families likewise struggling with the impact of a loved one suffering from a mental disorder. He leaves us with a feeling that there is shared compassion but, also, a shared feeling of shame, a feeling those whose relatives suffer from physical illness do not Hurry Down Sunshine does not just focus on Sally. To the contrary, Greenberg also details his relationship with his brother, Steve, and Steve’s own disabling mental health issues, as well as his distant relationship with his mother. As such, Sally’s problems are a pivot that allows Greenberg to explore other aspects of his own life. As such, this is not a typical firsthand account of mental illness. There are plenty of memoirs by people who have struggled with mental health issues, whether it be depression (William Styron’s Darkness Visible), schizophrenia (Mark Vonnegut’s Eden Express), bipolar disorder (David Lovelace’s recent Scattershot) or obsessive compulsive disorder (Charles Barber’s Songs from the Black Chair). Greenberg instead takes the approach of Pete Earley’s Crazy, looking at the impact of bipolar disorder not from the patient’s perspective but how Sally’s “crack-up” affects her family. Greenberg, though, focuses on the events of the summer of 1996. Earley’s story covers a longer period and examines the difficulties in obtaining treatment. Greenberg also takes time to explore the connection between conditions like Sally’s and genius and creativity. In fact, after Sally is released he takes some of her medication to assess its effects. He discovers the drugs “release her not from her cares, but from caring itself. For caring, exorbitant caring … is the psychotic’s curse.” As luck would have it, he takes the medication shortly before a movie producer insists on visiting Greenberg to discuss optioning a film for a novel Greenberg wrote. Putting your private life and struggles on display for public consumption can never be easy. When it such a personal aspect of your life and involves your teenage daughter, it can only be that much harder. Yet Greenberg’s decision (and Sally’s) to share that harrowing summer in an honest and forthright fashion undoubtedly contributes to the welcome reception Hurry Down Sunshine has received. We all fear at some point that “our” world and “the” world have become estranged. --Michael Greenberg, Hurry Down Sunshine Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:10:39 +0100
Shobha Krishnan-- If you have been up to date with the latest Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) news, you might have heard that Dr. Harald Zur Hausen, a German scientist who discovered the link between HPV and cervical cancer, was awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize for Medicine this year. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus, and cervical cancer is the most serious consequence of HPV infections. Additionally, the different strains of HPV cause many other cancerous and non-cancerous diseases beyond cervical cancer. The latest report from the CDC, “Assessing the Burden of HPV- Associated Cancers in the United States” and published in the November 15, 2008 supplement to the journal Cancer comprises the largest and most up to date assessment of HPV-related cancers in the United States between 1998 and 2003. The main purpose of the study was to get a better understanding of the broad spectrum of HPV related pre-cancers and cancers before the introduction of the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, in June 2006, and to study the future impact of the vaccine on these disease states. Highlights of the report include:
The following are summaries of the report’s findings on different kinds of cancers caused by HPV
Even though this study proves that the burden of HPV cancers is significant, several salient factors present themselves that need to be addressed in order to best combat HPV-related diseases. First, since most HPV-related cancers take decades to develop, it would take several years for us to effectively measure the true impact of the vaccine. However, precancerous lesions occur much earlier in the process, and it would therefore help to use them as surrogates to measure the potential success of the vaccine. Unfortunately, we do not have an organized system to track precancerous lesions in this country like we do a cancer, and therefore, the impact of the vaccine will not be measurable for years to come. Hence, the creation of a pre-cancer registry is highly recommended. Second, the study has shown that cervical cancer and many other HPV-related diseases are a reflection of health care disparities that include socioeconomic differences, inadequate access to healthcare, and ethnically unsound public education. Health awareness programs should not only aim to educate but should also tailor their message in a culturally sensitive manner to cater to the needs of people from various backgrounds –an area where we should discriminate in order to maximize positive health outcomes. The HPV Vaccine And Sexual PromiscuityOver 99% of Cervical Cancer Caused By HPVHow Safe is Gardasil : The HPV “Hot Shot”? Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:56:46 +0100 Dick Clark Productions to develop primetime series with Chicken Soup for the Soul>>
Book Review: Chicken Soup for Divorce & Recovery Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:47:48 +0100
He is the author of The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: What Treatments Work and Why, the Amazon best-seller The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, and his latest, The Healthiest Meals on Earth, books that have been endorsed and acclaimed by such luminaries as Mehmet Oz, MD, Christiane Northrup, MD and Mark Victor Hansen and a virtual who’s who in the field of integrative medicine and nutrition. Coming in January, 2009, 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy. For more information about products, services and coaching as well as a free newsletter and audiocourses, please visit him at www.jonnybowden.com What you eat while you're pregnant may actually set the tone for your children's health habits. When researchers at the Royal Veterinary College in the U.K. fed pregnant rats the equivalent of rat junk food, their babies were born craving the bad stuff. They also ate twice as many calories as baby rats whose mothers weren't fed the junk food. The 3D BabyDo Overweight Moms Set Up Their Kids To Be Overweight?Vitamin B12 Deficiency Leads to Shrinking Brain, Bone Loss Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:24:21 +0100 When the publishing company Thomas Nelson asked if I would like to review Karen James’ Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy When I began reading the book, I initially felt that it was getting off to a slow start. My type-A personality was looking to get into the details of the tragedy and how Karen coped with it, and instead she began with a background on her husband, their marriage, their faith, and their friends Brian Hall and Jerry Cooke (who lost their lives with Kelly). I soon overcame my impatience, though, because she did a great job of showing that these men were the kind of men you would like to have as friends. She also showed that these men were true experts at mountain climbing, and that their deaths were not due to the carelessness of inexperience. Their climb was difficult, indeed, taking them to a height of over two miles (11,000 feet), under torturous conditions. But, they had done such climbs many times before. Karen writes very well. The book was an easy read, and she pulled me into the story quickly and kept me interested. She went into a lot of detail on her experience of the tragedy, including an accounting of being present during the rescue efforts. And, after then describing how she dealt with the grief, she goes into exceptional detail in a reconstruction of how the tragedy happened. Someone who has not lost a loved one might not understand how she could go into so much depth in covering how her husband died. I can tell you from personal experience, though, that you very much want to know everything that happened when you lose a loved one. Up to a point, of course: you do not want to know if they died calling your name out, wondering why you could not prevent them from dying, wondering where you were, what was happening … That is something you think about, but really do not want to know. But, you want to know as much else as you can. I recall spending a lot time going through Vickie’s hospital records and then getting one of her doctors to walk me through exactly what happened. Similarly, Karen went into great detail to piece together exactly what happened to Kelly, Brian, and Jerry. She even used his recovered cell phone and camera, along with all of the emails between them when they were planning the climb. She talked with the rescuers and was a very good “detective” in piecing the events together. I was amazed that Karen did not blame anyone for the tragedy. She did not blame the rescue team for not being “quick enough,” she did not blame God, and it seems she did not blame herself. I think this is something other mourners can learn from her. It is natural to want to assign blame. I initially wanted to blame Vickie’s doctors. I certainly blamed God. And, I especially blamed myself for not being able to prevent her from dying. Such feelings of guilt and blame are destructive, though, and Karen shows that you can avoid it. I applaud her for that. Karen’s ability to do this may have been related to her deep faith. Speaking of her faith, I am pleased for her that she was able to keep it throughout the ordeal and its aftermath. Not everyone can. My faith was shattered when Vickie died, and it took a long while to rebuild it, only to have it crumble again, and again. Now I fear it is like Humpty Dumpty in that the pieces cannot be put back together again. So, I am glad for Karen that she kept her faith … it can make a lot of difference in the grief. I hope she is able to continue to retain it. She wrote the book only a year and a half after the tragedy, so she still has a lot of grief to go through. Should you buy this book? If you have lost someone very close to you, my view is that this book might do you some good. I cannot guarantee that it will. We all handle the loss of a loved one differently, but we can all learn from each other. I think we can learn from Karen that you can keep your faith, even through the worst of tragedies. And, we can all learn that we can bring some good out of the loss of a loved one, by honoring them. Karen did this through writing a book that honored her husband, and his friends Brian and Jerry. I honored Vickie through donations and through sharing my heart’s story with others. We cannot offset such tragedies, but we can bring some good from them. If we try. Related-- How Will You Live If Time's Almost Up? Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:30:05 +0100
Christopher Cannon-- The news was everywhere – a trial called JUPITER showed a dramatic reduction in heart attacks, stroke, and death using statins in people without a high cholesterol – but who had “inflammation.” Inflammation was measured using a simple blood test, C-reactive protein (CRP). When ‘otherwise healthy” people with no sign of heart disease took a strong statin – rosuvastatin (Crestor), they had a nearly 50% lower risk of heart attack or stroke and a 20% lower risk of dying – in just 2 years. Wow! So – does this pertain to me? Do I need a CRP test to tell if I need a statin? (would be reasonable to ask your doctor). If I have a high CRP – I have inflammation – what is that? It has been described as irritation, or roughness inside the blood vessels – that make it more likely that cholesterol plaques (the blockages inside the blood vessels) will break open, and lead to a heart attack or stroke. What does this mean for my cholesterol? How low should mine be? (quick answer – the lower the better) All great questions! So – some details on the study: JUPITER (Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin) looked to see whether intensive statin therapy (Crestor 20 mg will lower your bad cholesterol – low density lipoprotein or LDL – by 50%) would decrease the risk of developing a first major cardiovascular events among people who do not have a high cholesterol (that is their LDL had to be less than 130 mg/dl), but who were nonetheless at increased risk due to a high hs-CRP (≥2 mg/L). The trial randomized 17,802 men ≥55 years and women ≥65 years with no prior cardiovascular disease or diabetes (in whom statins are currently recommended) to rosuvastatin 20 mg/day or placebo. When starting out, the median LDL-C was just 108 mg/dl and hs-CRP was 4.3 mg/L; LDL-C was reduced by half down to 55 mg/dl. hs-CRP was reduced by 37%. ResultsThere was a highly significant 44% reduction in the incidence of the primary endpoint of any cardiac event – a heart So – this trial really reinforces the benefits of statins in preventing heart attacks, strokes, and death. It looked at a new group of patients, who have high CRP levels but not high cholesterol, and doctors will begin thinking about exactly what patient should be tested, and who should be treated. The trial also reinforces the benefit of statins in general – that they are well tolerated, and have significant benefits. Can Inflammation be reduced without drugs?
This is a good question! While it is great to see benefits from medications – it is certainly reasonable to try to avoid medication. This is a perfect example where diet and exercise can play a key role. We recently published a book on an Anti-Inflammation Diet in the Complete Idiot’s Guide series – that discusses ways to reduce inflammation via altering your diet and lifestyle. The key message is that through (non-radical) changes in diet one can reduce intake of foods that promote inflammation (e.g. saturated fats) and increase intake of foods that reduce inflammation (e.g. omega-3 fatty acids like in salmon, or flax seeds. Also, just aiming to eating a balanced diet, with less processed foods will make a huge impact in reducing inflammation. There have been several studies showing reducing in hs-CRP with some diets – thus strong evidence to support the idea of modifying diet can help. So – we have more things that we can do to improve our heart health! Targeting the usual risk factors is one step, but reducing inflammation looks like a new way to prevent heart problems! Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:40:37 +0100
Book Review: I Am Because We Are (PowerHouse Books, 2008) by Kristen Ashburn with a forward by Madonna
A FirstLook Feature
Recognized yearly, World AIDS Day raises global awareness of the spread of the disease. AIDS is caused by the transmission of HIV infection, and has killed more than 25 million people, approximately 2 million of them in 2007. It is estimated that 33 million are living with HIV, many of which do not have access to recently improved antiretroviral treatment and care. The worst hit region is Sub-Saharan Africa, home to 67% of the world’s HIV cases. World AIDS Day is a World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention initiative, first begun in 1988.
Every day in Malawi, Sub-Saharan Africa, people die of AIDS. They are mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers. Who’s left? Orphans. More than 1 million of them.
I Am Because We Are is the powerful photo accompaniment to the film documentary by the same title.
“I Am Because We Are” is an African philosophy known as Ubuntu. Incorporated by Nelson Mandela as a founding principle for the new South Africa, it has been described by Desmond Tutu to mean, “as the proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that we belong to a greater whole and are diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.” In the forward, Madonna writes, “As my friend Bill Clinton defines it, Ubuntu means that what we have in common is more important than our interesting differences.”
Together, Kristen Ashburn and Madonna have outlined the purpose of I Am Because We Are as a book which will raise awareness of the continuation of the AIDS epidemic in Malawi, thus helping end the vicious cycle of poverty—disease—death---poverty, which begins anew with each orphan. Inside the book you’ll see the stark reality of a world without food, medicine, and education. Sure, we in the West know about AIDS in Africa, we read about it in the news, but the photos add an element of humanity to our fellow man by putting an individual’s name to each face. For each child’s photograph, a brief history, partially written in the child’s voice, explains how he or she became an orphan. More importantly, throughout the book, Madonna highlights what her organization, Raising Malawi has done to make a difference in each child’s life.
Though it is heart-breaking to see the photos of children’s lives interrupted, I Am Because We Are, is a poignant reminder that there are those who still do good, striving to change the inequities of the world with their talents and financial abilities. Proceeds from the sale of I Am Because We Are will be donated to Raising Malawi, a charitable organization founded by Madonna and Michael Berg, and will be used for their work with the orphans of Malawi.
5 Stars
Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:58:14 +0100
Robert Ferguson-- Can you lose weight and improve your health simultaneously? Most people aren’t thinking about their health when they begin losing weight. Case in point: High protein/low carbohydrate diets have many health risks; however, for many people weight loss is often more important. With this said, let’s take a brief look at the two of most popular diets today: Atkins and South Beach. Without going into detail, consider this fact: Neither the late Dr. Atkins nor the author of The South Beach Diet is acknowledged for their physiques. I am not a big fan of the “do as I say, not as I do” philosophy. Many of today’s diets and fads are encouraged by people who don’t even look the part. To the contrary however, one of my teachers and role modelsis America’s father of fitness and health, Jack LaLanne. At a youthful 93 years of age, Jack is still able to perform more pushups than most 20 year olds. I know not everyone can be like Jack. However, there is a society of people who we can all learn from when it comes to being fit, lean and healthy. By taking a few minutes and learning more about the people who have the longest disability-free life expectancy in the world and the highest percentage of centenarians (people over 100 years old) anywhere - you will have a significant part of the blueprint to reducing your waistlineand improving your health! The people I am referring to are the Okinawans. The site of one of World War II’s bloodiest battles is one of the Ryukyu Islands located south of Japan. As of 1976 the Japanese Ministry of Healthy has been studying older Okinawans in hopes of unlocking the secrets to their amazing good health. This study for which I am very familiar with, called the Okinawa Centenarian Study, has focused on the genetics, diets, exercise habits and psycho-spiritual beliefs and practices of over 600 centenarians to uncover clues to their incredible health and longevity. What’s interesting about these Okinawa natives? They are all lean, energetic, youthful-looking people with very low rates of heart disease and cancer. Obesity is almost unheard of. They are truly amazing people – role models for all of us So, the answer to the openingquestion is largely based on the concept that if you want to successfully reduce your waistlineand improve your health, find out what unhealthy people do and do the opposite. Or, as I share with you, consider what the Okinawans are doing and jump on board. By taking on their lifestyle, you can expect to wake up in a more fit, leaner and healthier body daily. They eat at least seven servings of vegetables daily and the same number of grains – mostly whole grains, not processed. In addition, they eat two to four servings of fruit, plus tofu and other forms of soy, green tea, seaweed and fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids (i.e., wild salmon, sardines). Sweet potatoes, bean sprouts, onions and green peppers make up a large part of their nutrition habits as well. In all, 72 percent of their daily intake of food by weight consists of vegetables, grains and fruit. Soy and seaweed provide another 14 percent. Meat, poultry and eggs account for only 3 percent. Fish is about 11 percent. They emphasize dark green vegetables rich in calcium. Summary: If you want to successfully reduce your waistlineand improve your health simultaneously, simply look to someone who has done it already - the Okinawans. Doing so, you can expect to become more energetic, youthful looking, fit, firm and lower your likelihood of heart disease and cancer. Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:40:52 +0100
He is the author of The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: What Treatments Work and Why, the Amazon best-seller The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, and his latest, The Healthiest Meals on Earth, books that have been endorsed and acclaimed by such luminaries as Mehmet Oz, MD, Christiane Northrup, MD and Mark Victor Hansen and a virtual who’s who in the field of integrative medicine and nutrition. Coming in January, 2009, 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy. For more information about products, services and coaching as well as a free newsletter and audiocourses, please visit him at www.jonnybowden.com Last week, the results of a new study on a cholesterol-lowering drug were released generating a ton of press attention. The study (the JUPITER study) made the front page of the NY Times, was featured on just about every television news show, and generally created a lot of buzz. Even if you weren't paying too much attention- and it was hard not to- you might have heard that the study showed that a cholesterol-lowering medication (Crestor) lowered the risk for heart disease by over 40% in people who did not have high cholesterol in the first place! Soda, Kool-Aid, Fruit Drinks Can Lead to DiabetesHigher Levels of Vitamin C Mean Lower Risk of DiabetesWild Blueberries Improve The Brain's Memory |
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