A Healthy Alternative to Olive Oil

Many people use olive oil because it contains healthy monounsaturated fats like oleic acid.  These fats have mild anti-inflammatory properties, reduce "bad" LDL (low-density lipoprotien) cholesterol and contain beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol than can be healthful for the prostate.  If you find that olive oil has too strong a taste then you might try avocado oil.  It has the same amount of oleic acid as olive oil, a few more calories and a higher smoke point (500 degrees F) than olive oil (400 degrees F).  Avocado oil is slightly more expensive than olive oil but I really like its subtle flavor with a touch of pepper taste.

Another Drug-Free Way to Lower Cholesterol . . . If you are a guy.

A study performed at Iowa State University found that men with high cholesterol who ate at least 150 milligrams of flaxseed lignans a day (about three tablespoons) experienced nearly a 10 percent decrease in cholesterol.  The study didn't explain why flaxseed consumption didn't have the same effect on women.  I sprinkle ground flaxseed on my salads.

Love Those Nuts

A review of 25 clinical trials published in Archives of Internal Medicine indicates that eating about one-half cup (2.4 ounces) of nuts a day can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and total cholesterol as well.  Nuts are high in calories so you might reduce your intake of other snacks and high-calorie foods.

Fermentation and Health

Preparing and eating fermented foods is quickly becoming a lost art.  When was the last time that you prepared sauerkraut, or for that matter even ate it?  By the way, after reading this post, if you want to make sauerkraut then follow "Mother Earth New's" simple directions at http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2006-08-01/Got-Cabbage-Make-Sauerkraut.aspx

Anyway, back to fermented foods . . . acid indigestion results when your stomach doesn't have good bacteria and enzymes.  The symptoms of "acid indigestion" are really a warning that you don't have enough acid.  Loading up on antacids will just make the problem worse over the long term.

Fermented foods are pre-digested foods that magically sooth and heal the stomach.  They also provide nutrients like B vitamins and omege-3 fatty acitds.  Dr. Bill Douglas in the February 2010 issue of his Douglas Report stated that "the lactic acid you get from fermeted foods produces substances that can kill bacteria like Salmonela and Helicobacter pylori."  Ever wonder why the French have such a low cancer and heart disease rate?  Could it be because the drink more wine, a fermented food, that has avoided commercial processing?

Other fermented foods that you might try are Kombucha, an excellent drink and unflavored (fewer calories, non-pasteurized yogurt.

To your health . . .

Statin Drug Update

Last April (April 2009) I wrote a post about the dangers of statin drugs used to control (reduce) cholesterol.  Last week, the day before the health "care" bill passed, the FDA announced that one of the most popular statin drugs sold in America causes so much kidney damage that it might kill you.  The Food and Drug Administration says the highest available dose of the cholesterol drug Zocor can cause muscle damage as well as severe and potentially lethal kidney damage.

The FDA stated that statin drugs like Zocor (the generic version is simvastatin) are known to cause muscle damage in some patients.  The risk is greater when patients are taking 80 milligram doses of Zocor. The risks include rhabdomyolysis, a form of muscle damage that can lead to kidney damage or failure, and death.

Please go back and reread my April 2009 post . . .

Omega 3 for Heart Attack Survivors

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates that heart attack patients who had the highest intake of Omega-3 fatty acids from food rather than supplements had a 47 percent lower risk of ventricular ectopy. Ventricular ectopy is a form of heart rhythm abnormality that can result in sudden death. The best natural sources of Omega-3s are walnuts (I eat a small handful, about 1/4 cup, a day), kale and brussel sprouts (yum), salmon, herring and mackerel. I suggest that you include at least three serviing of Omega-3 rich food in your diet every day.

Source: Smith, P. J., et al. (2009) "Association Between n-3 Fatty Acid Consumption and Ventricular Ectopy after Myocardial Infarction," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Zucchini Delight

You might be thinking, “Oh no, not Zucchini again.” I love Zucchini in all of its wonderful varieties and missed it tremendously during the few months when I couldn’t find it in the grocery store . . . and early March is way too early to get it out of my garden. Tired of steamed, stir-fried and boiled (yuck) zucchini? Try our recipe for Zucchini Delight.

Wash and grate two large zucchinis (skin on)

Chop ½ of one red onion

Combine with one egg and three tablespoons of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Fry until brown (about three minutes on each side) in olive oil

Serve with garnish.

Now that is yummy!

Being Prepared

We have had a lot of snow in the mid-Atlantic this winter, as you may have noticed in the news if you don't live here. A couple of nights ago I was awoken by the arrival of the wind. Living in a forest we are able to hear strong wind blowing through the tops of the trees minutes before it hits. The wind was so strong that I listened to it for about five minutes before it hit our house. The street lights flickered a couple of times, it was 4:00 in the morning, and then the lights went off.

It was cold outside, about 9 degrees according to my thermometer, and so I went down stairs and turn on the fireplace and then made sure that our three boys were well covered in their beds. We stumbled out of bed into a reasonably warm house in the morning, thanks to our propane fireplace and I dug out our old Coleman camp stove to cook breakfast (and lunch and dinner . . . ).

All this got me thinking. We were nice and warm, as long as there was propane in the tank . . . but what would have happened if the tank ran dry? I need a backup of good old fashioned fire wood. The Colemen stove worked great . . . but I only have two gallons of fuel . . . that runs out and then what?

We don't need a disaster on the scale of Katrina to feel uncomfortable. What are you doing to be prepared for the bumps in life that come along from time-to-time?

-- Do you have food and fuel stored away?
-- What about a three-day emergency kit?
-- Could you plant a garden to feed your family? (I have an emergency supply of heritage seeds)
-- If you can't get to the ATM do you have cash (small bills and coins and maybe a little silver) on hand?

Have a plan . . . a get prepared.

Herbs for a Healthy Immune System

A 2007 study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17464769?dopt=AbstractPlus) documents the incredible effects of the herb Andrographis Paniculata on the immune system. The study reported the following findings:

• Andrographis supplementation increases the production of cytotoxic T cells—an immune cell that destroys caner cells.
• Mice with thymoma—a cancer of the thymus gland (which produces immune cells) live more than twice as long when treated with Andrographis extract for 10 days.
• Andrographis extract exerted beneficial effects on several cytokines (chemical messengers that direct the immune response), resulting in suppression of tumor growth.

Andrographis paniculata is an herb commonly used in China, India, and other countries in subtropical and Southeast Asia. Both the fresh and dried leaves, as well as the fresh juice of the whole plant, have been used in a variety of cultures. In traditional Chinese herbalism, andrographis is used to support healthy digestive, cardiovascular, and urinary systems. In Sweden, andrographis has been used for more than 10 years as a primary herb for the winter season.

A very similar study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12071516?dopt=abstractplus ) was done using another of my favorite herbs, ashwagandha. The results were similar with a large increase in immune function and a suppression of tumor growth. Ashwagandha is known to many herbalists as the Ayurvedic answer to ginseng, this powerful adaptogenic herb has been used in India for hundreds of years to strengthen the immune system and help normalize body functions affected by stress.

I recommend the use of Andrographis or Ashwangandha anytime you feel signs of flu or cold coming. Look for both at Swanson Vitamins.

Be Gentle with Yourself . . .

Do this with me . . . take a deep breath and now hold it while you count slowly to 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 5 . . . 6 . . . 7 . . . 8 . . . don’t give up . . . keep holding your breath . . . 9 . . . 10 . . . 11 . . . 12 . . . 13 . . .14 . . . 15.

Your body absorbed all the oxygen that it could from that breath in the first two or three seconds. The rest of the time you were holding on to something that was completely useless; air devoid of usable oxygen. How did it feel? A little tight? Constricted? Uncomfortable? That’s how we feel when we hold onto anything that we don’t need.

Are you holding onto old hurts? Resentment? Anger? Holding onto any of those old emotions does about as much good as holding your breath. Let go of those old, useless emotions and memories and forgive. Holding on to old pains is a lot like telling someone, “I’m going to drink this poison so that you will die.” When we fail to forgive we hurt ourselves, not the person whom we think has wronged us.

I can remember years ago when a student came to my office after class one day and said, “Dr. Murphy, you wronged me!” He was upset because I hadn’t given him extra time to finish an exam. He went on to accuse me of being an insensitive and arrogant professor. I could hold onto the bad feelings that I felt at that moment. If I did that the student, who graduate long ago and moved on with his life, would never know. I, however, would be affected by those thoughts every day.

I believe in Hemingway’s book, For Whom the Bell Tolls, he tells the story of a father who had just received a telegram informing him that his son had been killed in the Spanish Civil War. In the book, the father went to a party that night and was confronted by a friend who asked him, how can you be here tonight? You just found out that your son was killed in the war. The father responded with the explanation that he knew if he didn’t let go of the pain sooner or later it would destroy him and that he had chosen to let go sooner. (I need to find the exact quotes for you . . . ) Letting go sooner is a really good idea.

I have found a way to forgive that works for me, it might work for you. I close my eyes and try to visualize the person that I need to forgive. As I tell them, in my mind, “I forgive you, I release you.” I let them slowly break apart and float away before my eyes. It seems that they become a jigsaw puzzle that slowly comes apart and each puzzle piece floats away. By forgiving, I free myself.

Be gentle with yourself . . . forgive.

Feeling Down?

Professor Irving Kirsch, author of The Emperor's New Drugs, (Click on my book recommendations at the left) has researched the efficacy of antidepressant medication. His research indicates, contrary to popular belief, that depression is not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and treating the condition with antidepressant drugs is no more effective than placebos.

Kirsch analyzed data from numerous clinical studies on antidepressants reports that "75 percent of the response to the drugs appears to be a placebo effect." According to Kirsch, patients improved mostly because they believed they were taking a medication that would help them with depression. He concludes that the figure could be as high as 82 percent, with the remaining 'drug difference' accounted for by enhanced placebo effect.

Kirsch stressed that lack of serotonin cannot be the physical cause of depression. As proof, he pointed to a new French antidepressant that works as a selective serotonin reuptake enhancer (SSRE). This drug decreases serotonin levels -- exactly the opposite of how popular SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) medication functions. Kirsch said studies show about 60 percent of patients get better regardless of whether they are on antidepressants that increase, reduce, or do nothing to their serotonin levels. This is a clear evidence to Kirsch that these drugs actually do nothing.

Even if antidepressants were an effective pharmaceutical treatment for depression they come with a host of negative side effects, including insomnia, sexual dysfunction, and increased risk of suicide in children and young adults. Kirsch suggests that alternative treatments for depression like physical exercise (shown clinically to help people get better) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which boasts effectiveness comparable to antidepressants.

Besides its physical health benefits, exercise is often said to help people simply feel good. And a growing number of studies are showing that these mood-boosting effects may even fight clinical depression. For example, researchers found that walking for 30 minutes each day quickly improved the patients' symptoms -- faster, in fact, than antidepressant drugs typically do. (British Journal of Sports Medicine April 2001;35:114-117).

The results indicate that, in selected patients with major depression, aerobic training can produce a substantial improvement in symptoms in a short time. In fact, in one study that compared exercise with antidepressants among older adults, investigators found that physical activity was the more effective depression-fighter.

Here is another idea:

Change your physiology. When you feel down, look up, put on a big, big smile, and high-five in the air. I bet you can’t feel bad while smiling . . . it just doesn’t work.

Safe Plastic

Ever wonder whether your plastic containers are food safe? The connection between plastic and cancer was discovered at Tufts University in 1987. A research team was culturing breast cancer cells in plastic test tubes and the cancer cells grew like crazy. Since then a number of studies have confimed the plastic-cancer link. So, it really is important to find out if your plastic containers are safe.

To find out, check the number that is usually found on the bottom of the container inside a small triangle. Containers with a 1 or 2 on the bottom are the safest. These containers are usually used to store milk, water, and other drinks. These containers are safe for storing food and water.

Continers with a 4 or 5 on the bottom are generally safe, but use the sparingly. Containers with the number 3, 6 or 7 contain the volatile chemical BPA and should never be used for food or beverage storage.

Finally, I don't like microwaves in general (more about why in another blog) but please, never microwave food or beverages in a plastic container.