Funny stuff about stairs vs escalator. Important invitation

Healthy by Nature radio show this week: We’ll talk with nutrition educator, Stuart Tomc, about the 4 nutritional advances most likely to end heart disease in America. Call with questions during the show at 1-800-281-8255. Click here to find podcasts, show archives and ways to listen nationwide.
STAIRS OR ESCALATOR?
We all know that, given the choice, we should take the stairs rather than the escalator. Taking the stairs burns calories and is an aerobic activity that is good for the heart. However, most of us take the easy way out. Above is a picture that tells a funny if slightly sad story.
WOW. Acting on their belief that more people would use the stairs if it was fun, Volkswagen had creative engineers convert the stairway at the Odenplan subway station in Stockholm, Sweden into functioning piano keys. They were right! 66% more people used the stairs after that. Watch this wonderful video to see how it works.
INVITATION. No matter where you live, please attend our life-changing event Saturday, March 31st. We do have hotel bargains. See details and a gallery of last year's photos on the event’s own website, Natural HealthFest. Here is why I’m sooo excited about our 3rd annual consumer event:Our 12 top-notch speakers combine the best of nutrition / natural medicine with the best of mainstream science. They are patient-centered and results-driven. Among the topics: managing diabetes without drugs, energy medicine, autism, hyperbaric oxygen, fibromyalgia, as well as nutrition and immune support for cancer. A fabulous panel of experts will answer your health questions. Here is the schedule. Note: there are a limited number of seats for the Keynote addresses—the proceeds of that portion will be donated to charities for homeless children and pets.Our 80 exhibitors showcase cutting-edge natural health products, services and equipment. You can test equipment, get free health evaluations and sample natural foods. There are lots of freebies, money-saving coupons and thousands of dollars in door prizes.You can also adopt a pet, join live radio broadcasts and even meet a movie celebrity!
Burton Gilliam, lovable star of movies and TV will make a special guest appearance (10am-3pm) and be available for photos and autographs. Burton has appeared in dozens of films (like Paper Moon, Blazing Saddles, Fletch, Honeymoon in Vegas and Back to the Future Part III) and on TV (e.g. Evening Shade, Walker, Texas Ranger, The A-team, Knight Rider, The Waltons, Charlie’s Angels and The Dukes of Hazzard.)I look forward to meeting him, but I’m more excited that I get to see you!
DETAILS:Saturday, March 31, 2012, 9 AM to 5 PM (doors open at 8 AM for ticket sales and radio broadcast)Location: Plano Centre, 2000 Spring Creek Pkwy, Plano TX 75074—Just east of US-75 (Central EXPWY) at Exit #31. Food: The snack bar will sell natural foods snacks / lunch.
Admission: Buy tickets online and receive bonus prize entries or at the door. BUY NOW.
Questions? Call toll free 1-877-262-7843
Thanks to our corporate sponsors: KWRD, KSKY, KLTY, Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics and RealFoodGrocery.com
History: For over 13 years I have been frequently asked by listeners for more in-depth information than was possible in an hour on the air and for the names of practitioners I trust. My mission is to provide consumers with reliable science-based information and responsible choices they can make to improve their health and avoid the slippery slope to crisis medicine. So, in 2010, to bring together integrative practitioners, show sponsors and listeners, we sponsored what was expected to be a small event at a North Dallas hotel. The response was so overwhelming that in 2011 Natural HealthFest moved to a portion of the Plano Centre. Because of an amazing turnout and great enthusiasm, this year Natural HealthFest will occupy the entire Plano Centre facility.

You can detect your own food sensitivities.

Healthy by Nature radio show this week: Our topic will be Could It Be B12?: An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses which is also the title of a book by our guest, Sally Pacholok, RN. Sally has gathered some powerful information about the signs of B12 deficiency and how routine testing misleads us. (I suspect I’ll be taking notes.) Call with questions during the show at 1-800-281-8255. Click here to find podcasts, show archives and ways to listen nationwide.

SIGNS OF FOOD SENSITIVITY

There are many ways we can experience negative reactions to foods.

Food intolerances such “lactose intolerance” are common. That is when someone lacks the enzymes to digest the sugar in milk and experiences various kinds of digestive distress.

True food allergies are when our immune systems perceive something like peanuts, strawberries or shellfish as a serious threat and creates symptoms that you can’t possibly miss, such as difficulty breathing or instantly breaking out in hives head to toe. You are likely born with those allergies.

Acquired food sensitivities are usually the result of “leaky gut”. Sensitivities can affect various systems but often are delayed so that we don’t make the connection or they are so subtle that we overlook them. If the reaction is in the nervous system, we might feel tired or moody or get a headache the next day. Who knows, maybe the particular food you are eating when you bite your cheek or start to choke is one that caused the nerves to send an incorrect message to a muscle. When the circulatory system is affected, capillaries might dilate making ears turn red or the face flush. Or, your heart rate might increase and that is something you can measure. In the 1950's Dr. Arthur Coca discovered and publicized the connection. Basically, you establish a base line pulse before you eat. At little while after a meal you check your pulse again. If it has jumped let’s say from 65 beats a minute to 85, that is a sign you are reacting to something in that meal. You may have to eat the meal’s components separately at a later time to identify the exact ingredient that caused the reaction and it can turn out to be quite specific. For example, I react to white sugar from sugarcane, but not white sugar from beets. There are no false positives. If every time you eat a certain food your pulse jumps, you know that you have a problem. However, the converse is not true because there are false negatives. By that I mean even without an increase in your pulse you may be reacting to a food but just with another sign. By Friday there should be a link on this page to more complete instructions.

Here is where the smart phone comes in. There are a couple of free apps that use the camera light to measure your pulse. (Hmm, what will they think of next? I reckon the phone is too bulky to use for doing a colonoscopy…) To get such an app, go to your phone's app store and search for “heart rate”. (Sometimes I wonder how “smart” my phone is when its autocorrect substitutes something lewd, insulting or just plain wacky for the text I've typed.)

Delayed sensitivity. The best way to catch one of these is with paper and pencil—a food diary. Patterns will become apparent over time.

Overcoming food sensitivities is possible. It requires avoiding the offending food for a while and fixing a “leaky gut”. That’s a condition where the cells lining the gut aren’t properly doing what we need them to—absorb nutrients and keep bad stuff from being absorbed. The lining of the small intestine is kind of like a shag rug with tiny projections (villi ) that promote absorption. If the beneficial intestinal bacteria are insufficient, bad bacteria and yeasts can flatten those villi and loosen the junctions between cells allowing bad bugs and fragments of food to get into circulation where they annoy the immune system. Probiotics are an important part of the solution. Another nutrient I mention in my book on digestion is Zinc Carnosine. Studies show that this special form of the mineral helps heal damage to the gastro-intestinal tract. Because it seems to work mainly in the gut, I don’t consider it as a zinc nutritional supplement. One of our sponsors, Doctor’s Best, makes it as a supplement. One of our other sponsors sells it. LINK.

Yogurt, olive oil and lipstick....No, not a yucky recipe.

Healthy by Nature radio show this week: I know the show is G-rated, but we are going to talk about sex. I’ll ask Hugh Woodward about this interesting article in The Atlantic. Another guest, Dr. Cass Ingram is always interesting. He is the author of a number of books, including Natural Cures for Diabetes: Reverse Diabetes Quickly through the Power of Natural Cures. We’ll talk about that and the role of fungus in long term diseases. Click here to find podcasts, show archives and ways to listen nationwide. Call with questions at 1-800-281-8255.
YOGURT
Rick, a listener, sent in this question: “I heard years ago that sugar destroys the acidolphilus bacteria in yogurt & in the intestine generally. I'd heard that because of this the only way to buy one of the flavored yogurts is to get the fruit on the bottom variety. The TRUTH?” First, for those of you who may be new to all this, I must mention that our good health depends on trillions of beneficial bacteria (also known as probiotics or friendly flora) in our gut. We are host to hundreds of strains or families, each with a different benefit. You might be surprised to know we actually have 3-4 pounds of them. My article, You cannot live without bacteria!, tells about all the important jobs they do, what kills them off and how to keep them happy. Other cultures consume a variety of fermented foods that help support their intestinal critters. But, because the US is so germ-phobic, we pasteurize everything and kill all bacteria. Yogurt is one cultured food we do have available. It provides only one or two strains that do some good while they are there but, do not necessarily colonize. (That is why people take probiotic supplements, like Dr. Ohhira’s, a product that helps all our natural strains thrive.) Yogurt is tart because it converts the sugar in milk, lactose, into lactic acid. I think added sugar must not kill them directly since yogurt brands with fruit and sugar mixed in still claim to deliver live bacteria. However, sugar is inflammatory and feeds yeasts in the intestines that in turn cause us a lot of grief. One disputed study seemed to show that the artificial sweetener, Splenda®, was harmful to probiotics. I think the best choice is add your own fresh fruit to unsweetened Greek style yogurt.
LIPSTICK
You may have heard on the news that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that most lipstick brands contain varying levels of lead, a toxin. The FDA (quite intolerant of lead in supplements) says that lipstick isn’t a problem because it goes on top of your skin. (Why would the agency invest so much in testing if it isn’t any concern?) We should remember that: (1) a great deal of what goes on your skin is absorbed and (2) most lipstick is swallowed—unless you kiss it off, in which case it becomes a problem for the kissee. It is estimated that lipstick wearers eat up to 5 feet of it in a lifetime. This link takes you to the result of the testing so you can select a brand with the least lead. LINK
OLIVE OIL
Olive oil is back in the news and not in a good way (e.g. this article in The New Yorker ). Tons of studies show the benefits of real, honest-to-goodness, extra virgin olive oil. Olives contain beneficial monounsaturated fats and antioxidants and are credited with being one reason that the Mediterranean diet seems so healthful. The advantages carry over into the oil from the first pressing of the olives—i.e. Extra Virgin oil. However, much of what is bottled and sold has had the goodies processed away in creating a nearly flavorless refined olive oil. Worse yet, many brands are actually adulterated blends that have cut the olive with cheap vegetable oils with possibly opposite effects. It is said that more “Italian extra virgin olive oil” is sold in the US than Italy even produces! This site gives information about choosing an olive oil. LINK. Your best bet might be a California estate bottled olive oil. Look for one with a bitter, pungent flavor and plan to pay $20 - $30 for a 500 ml bottle. Be careful with it in the kitchen because olive oil breaks down under heat. Or better yet, use unrefined Australian macadamia nut oil. It is heat stable, contains antioxidants, is even richer in monounsaturated fats, and has a versatile buttery flavor. With MacNut Oil you know what you are getting because it all comes from one plant in Australia. I buy mine from this small friendly family business.

Stink Pee

Healthy by Nature radio show this week: Constantine Kotsanis, MD will be in the studio to talk about innovative approaches to cancer treatment. Annie Brandt will join us by phone from Austin, TX. She is a 10-year cancer survivor and Executive Director of the Best Answer for Cancer Foundation. We’ll take listener calls at on 1-800-281-8255. Click here to find podcasts, show archives and ways to listen nationwide.

Veggie Surprise

For lunch today I had salmon and fresh asparagus. I marveled at how much better asparagus tastes raw or just lightly steamed. I used to hate asparagus. Now I realize that was probably because, as a child, I had only eaten it canned or cooked until mushy and the flavor was really strong. Since I am crazy busy this week I thought, “Hey, I’ll just do an easy newsletter on asparagus and maybe throw in a reminder about the benefit of raw foods.” After a quick search of my files and the PubMed database, I realized the assignment wasn’t so simple after all.

Basics: Asparagus is a low-calorie, high-fiber, gourmet green veggie. It is also a good source of a number of nutrients, especially vitamin C and potassium. (Potassium helps balance the sodium in our diet.) Asparagus has historically been valued as an herb with healing, cleansing and diuretic properties. Here are some recent studies:

Cholesterol. In this animal study, asparagus significantly lowered LDL cholesterol without lowering HDL. It also protected blood fats from oxidizing which is what makes them dangerous. LINK

Diabetes. An asparagus extract used in this animal study seemed remarkably effective at controlling blood sugar by improving insulin secretion. It also increased blood levels of antioxidants. LINK

Immune function. This laboratory study using blood that contained leukemia cells, found that an extract of asparagus improved immune function by increasing natural killer cells. LINK

Hangover. Asparagus apparently helps the liver process alcohol. The leaves are even better than the sprouts.LINKand more...

RUMORS: Periodically a viral email comes by touting asparagus as a cancer cure. I usually check Snopes.com about email scares and wild claims. They aren’t always right on health matters, but they do seem to have the Asparagus for Cancer idea about right. LINK. Given the study above on immune function, there may actually be a pony in this barn. Other researchers are looking at the connection. LINK. At least it can’t hurt to eat asparagus.

Stink Pee”…I learned that colloquial term from my southern husband, Bill (no, you smarty pants editors, I don’t also have a northern husband). Asparagus contains volatile compounds that produce a strong odor in the urine. It is a subject of some debate whether everyone produces it and/or if everyone can smell it. There is no question about it at our house and Bill will not eat asparagus and would prefer I didn’t. How to cook it. Asparagus is good when cut up bite sized and added raw to salads, wraps or even finely chopped in tuna salad. (Raw foods still have their own enzymes and thereby spare the ones our body would have to make.) I like my asparagus steamed but still quite crunchy with most of the benefit of raw. I do it like this: Boil water in a pan containing a steamer basket. Wash the stalks and discard the tough ends. Cut into pieces that fit in the steamer basket. Place stems in the basket and turn off the heat. Let it steam for just a minute or two. What could be easier? Serve with a squeeze of lemon or if you want to get fancy, hollandaise sauce.

8 health and happiness improvements for no cost

So often it seems that when we learn about something that can improve our health it means purchasing a product or service. I thought it would be a pleasant relief to remind ourselves about some health positives that don’t cost a penny.

• Breathe more deeply. Oxygen not only makes our brains come alive, it also fuels our immune cells. The mere act of focusing on breath is also a stress reliever. There are other benefits. LINK

• Take a walk. We now know that sitting all day (even at a desk) is hard on us even if we do regular exercise before or after work. Conversely, being active has many fringe benefits, even on mood. LINK

• Chew more thoroughly. Someone who attended one of my seminars told me that better chewing solved a digestive problem for her. I discuss chewing and other aids to digestion in my book.

• Keep a gratitude journal. Write down a list of things for which you are grateful. It really relieves frustration and improves our attitude to focus on positives. Also, we tend to get more of what we think most about, so thinking about good things makes a lot of sense. (You don’t have to have a fancy book to make the journal. Why not make it environmentally greener by writing on the blank backs of the fundraising mail that politicians are sending you?)

• Pray. That’s another lovely way to focus on positives and recruit powerful help with your challenges.

• Avoid sodas and other sweetened beverages. These beverages do not fill us up but sure do pack on the pounds and launch us on the road to diabetes. Sometimes you will hear dietitians say they aren’t so bad, but could that be because they receive funding from Coca Cola? LINK Don’t forget that the sweet coffee drinks are in this category.

Drink more water. Drink it between meals rather than diluting your digestive juices. Of course, I assume you know by now that I’m not talking about tap water. There is just too much junk in tap

Healthy by Nature radio show this week: I‘ll talk with Dr. Kyl Smith, author of Brighter Mind, about how to get our brains to work more effectively (e.g. focus, memory, mood, decision making and even mental energy). Athletes and anyone who exercises will want to hear Massage Therapist, Lori Walter explain the surprising benefits of stretching. She will also dispel some myths about stretching. Click here to find podcasts, show archives and ways to listen nationwide. Call with questions at 1-800-281-8255.

Is there anything left that is safe to eat?

Healthy by Nature radio show this week: I’m very pleased to have open lines with Gus Kotsanis, MD. I’ll focus my opening questions on cancer, but call with any health questions that are on your mind.  1-800-281-8255. Click here to find podcasts, show archives and ways to listen nationwide. Notice for those in the Dallas / Fort Worth area: Our website may not yet reflect this, but all seminars still on the list will be re-scheduled. The goal is to make them shorter and on Saturday when more people are available.

Is there anything left that is safe to eat?

This week the media told us about the unfortunate folks who contracted the serious bacterial infection, listeria, from contaminated melons shipped all over the country. The fruit was pulled from stores, but not before sickening hundreds and causing 13 fatalities. The disease doesn’t develop immediately, so there may be even more cases. Unfortunately, this isn’t a one of a kind threat. There have also been listeria infections from celery, sprouts, cabbage, deli meats and soft Mexican style cheese. Recall alerts and sickness have also resulted from various bacteria and parasites found in everything from apples, tomatoes, spinach, parsley, and lettuce to ground beef and even peanut butter. Years ago it was cranberries of all things. So, do we all have to become Breatharians? (a bizarre belief of some mystics that they can live on air, e.g. without food or water.) Come to think of it, since the air is polluted too, forget that. Here is what I do recommend: Follow the recommended kitchen precautions. For example, wash produce. Properly cook meat. Wash your hands. Don’t use a kitchen sponge because they quickly accumulate bacteria. Clean counters, cutting boards and knives between uses. The USDA offers good advice. LINK. But, we all eat in restaurants or at the occasional covered-dish dinner or other places that may not have followed the rules. So, then what? That is where our internal defenses come to the rescue. The first line of defense is stomach acid. It literally dissolves the pathogens. That’s only one reason that it is dangerous to block your stomach acid with antacids or acid blockers we see on TV. Most persons past middle age do not produce adequate stomach acid and that already makes them more vulnerable to food borne illness. The median age of the victims of the current cantaloupe calamity is 78. It is likely that they had low stomach acid making them more likely to become infected. My book has a whole chapter on the many important functions of stomach acid and how to assure you are adequate. (Hint—step one is avoid drugs that shut it off.) BOOK LINK The second line of defense is our friendly intestinal bacteria (also known as flora or probiotics). For a bad organism to cause a big problem after it gets past the stomach, it needs to set up shop in the intestines and multiply into an evil army. Fortunately, when the good bacteria are present in sufficient numbers, they don’t allow that to happen. Not only do they crowd out the bad guys, they even produce natural antibiotic-like substances that kill them without harming friendly neighbors. I know I’m like a broken record [for you youngin’s, a record was the iTunes of yore] on subjects like magnesium, vitamin D, fish oil and probiotics. But, that is because they are so darned important and neglected. In this case, I must repeat that of all the probiotics I’ve looked at, Dr. Ohhira’s is the only one that contains those natural antibiotic-like products of the good bacteria. It also contains TH10, a powerful strain (6 x stronger than any other known friendly strain) that is especially effective against food borne critters. The two individuals in the Dallas / Fort Worth area that died as a result of the recent listeria contamination were both 89 years of age. That brings me to the other thing that diminishes with age—immune function. Most of our immune system is located in the digestive system and therefore benefits greatly from probiotics. And probably all nutrients help one way or another, but I want to call attention to Vitamin D. It is crucial for immunity and it is likely that the elderly are not out playing beach volley ball in bathing suits or otherwise spending enough time in the sun for it to be a sufficient natural source of vitamin D. Besides, as we age, we aren’t as good at turning sunlight into D. So, this group would greatly benefit from a supplement. A sub-lingual is a good choice because it isn't slowed by iffy digestion.

It is more blessed to give than to receive

It’s a time of year that the spirit of giving often gets lost in the logistics of giving. We go to the mall, wait in lines, shake our fist at the slow traffic or gripe about the over-commercialization of the season. It’s the giving without expectation of something in return that we often forget about, particularly this time of year. For that reason, among others we’re spotlighting non-profit organizations on this week’s show. We’ve got quite a line up too. By now, because of the picture above, you may have guessed that the one and only Marlo Thomas is on the show. I think most people know her as much for her work with St. Jude as they do as TVs “That Girl” or as Mrs. Phil Donahue. We’re excited to have Marlo on the show. She’s a dynamic lady; you’ll love to hear more about St. Jude’s work to fight against childhood cancer.

It’s always tragic when a kid gets seriously sick. It makes it even worse when that kid is the son or daughter of a single parent. The Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation was created to help just these types of situations. The River of Life Foundation helps with the purchase of medicine, arranges transportation and treatment that the single parent may not be able to afford as well as enhances and sustains lives in many other ways. River will advocate for airline tickets for a grandparent coming to help, or buy a wig for a self-conscious teenager returning to school after chemotherapy, or pay for ballet lessons for a neglected sibling. Instead of restriction, we give as freely as our River will allow. Valerie Sobel, who founded The River in honor of her son, will join Martie to discuss the foundation.

What if you could save a child’s eyesight for a quarter? Seriously 2-bits! 25 cents. Howard Schiffer started Vitamin Angels, an organization which has set its sights on the issue of childhood blindness, with plans to eliminate childhood blindness by the year 2020 through the systematic distribution of vitamin A to at-risk children. In addition, Vitamin Angels sponsors programs to supply multivitamins to at-risk children and vital supplements to expecting mothers, worldwide.
Listen for Martie and Howard’s conversation about how just pennies can impact a life forever.

Martie also talks with Mary Morton of Nourish America. Nourish America is committed to provide the daily essential nutrition that impoverished American children, families, pregnant moms, and seniors and others in need require to live productive, successful lives. Success of the program depends on the partnerships with public schools, churches, Head Start, Healthy Start and WIC programs, homeless and battered women shelters, public health departments, medical clinics, the American Red Cross, Volunteers of America, Salvation Army, Boys and Girls’ Clubs, Feed the Children just to name a few…or a dozen. The list goes on.

Our mission on the Martie Whittekin show has always been in the spirit of education and raising awareness. Our aim with this show is to introduce you to some organizations that are focused on helping people become healthy and stay that way. Often outfits like this don’t have the marketing budgets of the BIG charities, so they can use our help with getting their message out.

"Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life's blood. But everyone has something to give." Barbara Bush

http://www.realfoodgrocery.com/King-of-the-Sea-Tuna-Prodview.html&idAff=6681