Vital Choice Healthstore Blog & Podcast

by Michael Ventresca

Just a few weeks ago I blogged about a preliminary study that showed green tea may reduce the risk of developping lung cancer.

Well, here’s yet ANOTHER reason green tea may be good for us.  Researchers from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee report that a compound found in green tea called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate0 may be useful in treating uterine fibroids, a condition that affects 25%-30% of U.S. women.

The research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology was an animal study but the results were pretty impressive.

Here’s what they found:

Ten mice [within fibroid cells] were given epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) mixed with their water, and 10 mice were given plain water. EGCG is a polyphenol in green tea and is a compound found in vegetables and fruits.The mice were followed for up to eight weeks. At both four weeks and eight weeks after treatment, fibroid growths were smaller and weighed less. The researchers note that one mouse in the EGCG group had no tumor seen at the end of eight weeks.

So that’s what happened in the mice. Here’s what the researchers found in the test tube part of the study:

In test tube studies with rodent fibroid cells, cells treated with EGCG grew more slowly and were smaller after 48-72 hours. EGCG also prompted fibroid cell death. The researchers write that it is “highly encouraging that, in our work, a relatively modest dose of EGCG … that was delivered in drinking water was successful in inducing a dramatic and sustained reduction in fibroid tumor size up to eight weeks after treatment.”

The researchers are beginning to look for participants for human trials.

So yet again, the message from Mother Nature appears to be, “Drink green tea, it’s good for you.”

[Read the article]

by Michael Ventresca

Researchers have found that people with abundant levels of vitamin D — the so-called sunshine vitamin — have a much lower risk of colon cancer.

Okay – wow. What more can be said about vitamins D?  Over the past few years the scientific community’s understanding of vitamin D’s role in the body has basically made it the single most important nutrient we could take.

Here are a few of the thing we’ve recently learned about D:

• 70-90% of adults are deficient
• 70% of children have inadequate levels

It may help prevent or treat:

• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Cancer (breast, colon among others)
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Osteo Arthritis
• Colds and Flu

And I’m sure more is to come.

Again, this latest batch of research focused on colon cancer.  From Medicinenet.com:

For the current study, researchers looked at the link between blood levels of vitamin D as well as dietary vitamin D and calcium, and who was at risk for colorectal cancer. They based their findings on information from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer Study (EPIC), a study of more than 520,000 people from 10 Western European countries. The study participants gave blood samples and completed detailed diet and lifestyle questionnaires between 1992 and 1998.

During the follow-up period, 1,248 patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Researchers compared their lifestyle and diet backgrounds to the same number of healthy patients. They discovered that those with the highest blood levels of vitamin D had a nearly 40% decrease in colorectal cancer risk than those with the lowest levels.

So today I have three take-aways:

1. Get your vitamin D level checked
2. If you want to take vitamin D – be sure to take vitamin D3 (it’s far superior to D2)
3. Most experts are now saying take at least 1,000IU D3 every day (My favorite is MegaFood’s D3 as it’s 100% whole food)

As always, it’s best to consult with your doctor – but seriously, try to do so sooner than later.

For more information on D3, listen in on my podcast with Ann Allworth Ph.D. I think it’s one of the most informative we’ve done!

[read entire Medicinenet.com article]

So for today’s open-thread I’d like to toss out a question – how’d you get interested in natural health?

I can thank my father for getting me interested.  My dad is a retired doctor, an oral surgeon to be specific. Unlike most of his peers, dad has always believed in the value of nutrition.

At a very early age (I was probably 11 or so) I remember having a conversation with him about the difference between isolated vitamins and their whole food counterparts. I remember him saying, ‘You know, that’s not really 1,000mg of vitamin C. If it were, the pill would be the size of a softball,’ or something like that.

Dad was constantly lecturing or attending lectures on nutrition.  When asked why a doctor would be so interested in nutrition he often responds, ‘all health starts with digestion, and as digestion begins in the mouth, it’s only natural for an oral surgeon to make nutrition a priority.’

A guess some of his passion rubbed off…

How about you?  What brought you to be interested in natural health?

by Nicole Elias, RD LD

I’m often asked ‘What does a dietitian eat?’ Do we eat at McDonalds?  Do we count calories? Are we really getting all the fiber we should be?

While I can’t speak for all dietitians, I can say that I really try to stay true to what I preach.  I believe in what I do.  Food is medicine, and we can prevent so many diseases just by living a healthy lifestyle.  When you put the right things in, you will live a longer, healthier life.

However, this doesn’t mean I only eat grass and tree bark.  I come from a family that revolves around home-style meals that aren’t complete without a homemade dessert -and trust me not even I can pass up one of my moms pies!  I strive for balance and moderation not perfection, and I focus on health over counting calories.

So what does my typical diet look like?

I will start by saying the first thing I have in the morning is always a glass of water.

Breakfast

• 1 Ezekial Raisin English Muffin with 1 Tbs Almond Butter and 2 tsp Agave Nectar
• 1 cup green tea
• Snack
• Smoothie (3/4c lowfat Kefir, ½ c orange juice, ¼ c frozen pineapple, ½ c frozen raspberries ½Tbsp flax)

I make this the night before; because I am not a morning person and would never have the time otherwise.

Lunch (usually my biggest meal)

• 1.5 c Mixed Green Salad (my favorite dressing is olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt)
• 2-3 oz Wild Salmon (or whatever protein is leftover from dinner the previous night)
• Light String Cheese
• Apple

I also pack or at least plan out my lunch the night before.  I’ve learned I don’t make good decisions when it’s 12pm and I’m starving!

Water

Snack:

• A medium decaf Mocha from Starbucks or homemade (this is my weakness, and even though it’s nonfat, I still consider it a dessert)
• I also have a few whole wheat crackers

Dinner:

• Homemade Turkey Chili (This is a great Crockpot meal for busy moms) made with onions, green & jalepeno peppers, zucchini, kidney beans, extra lean turkey, crushed tomatoes and chili seasoning over Whole Wheat Penne Pasta

Water

Snack:

• A couple pieces of dark chocolate,
• a small bowl of high fiber cereal or a chocolate chip cookie courtesy of mom.

See I told you – but at least the eggs and milk she uses are organic 

Water

Total Calories: 1820 Carbs: 240g Protein: 86g Fat: 63g Fiber: 29g

So there you have it – a little look into a dietitian’s stomach.

One last note – if you’re wondering how I came up with the calories, carbs etc. from my diet, I ran a Nutribase Clinical Diet Analysis of my diet.  If you’re interested in finding out what’s in your diet call me at 440-885-9505, email me at neliasRD@gmail.com or visit Vital Choice’s Dietetic Services page.

When is the best time to detoxify?  According to today’s guest Mary Ellen Derwis-Balaz LMT,  the time is now!

A licensed massage therapist and Chi Nei Tsang Practitioner, Mary Ellen discusses the influence of the Wood element on the body according to Taoist philosophy, and why that makes February and March the best times to cleanse the body.  Mary Ellen  also discusses how cleansing the liver can enhance the brain and eyes!

A little bit about today’s guest: Mary Ellen offers various massage modalities to her clients including Chi Nei Tsang abdominal chi massage.  As a licensed Massotherapist for 17+ years she has studied throughout the country and is a NCBTMB provider for Massage therapists.  As a  Universal Healing Tao practitioner,  she offers massage courses and Chi Kung classes throughout the US and Europe. Beginning in March 2010 she is offering a class locally in Meridian stretches that will explore the movement of chi thru the organ systems of the body. To learn more check out her website or call 216.548.8980.

Finally, during today’s podcast I mentioned a gallbladder cleanse used by many people.  Here is one recipe, I’ve known people to use written by blogger Amy Bass:

1-Day Gallbladder Cleanse

One of the most popular Do It Yourself Gallbladder cleanses only takes 1 day. If you want to do this flush, begin first thing in the morning and only eat organic apples. You should eat a minimum of 5 a day. Green apples have shown to be much more effective at softening gallstones than the red ones. Drink nothing but pure water and herbal teas.

Right before going to bed mix 2/3 cup of body temperature olive oil with 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice, sip this, and then retire immediately. Lay only on your right side drawing up your right leg and in the morning all stones should pass in the stool. It is recommended that this one-day flush only be done with the advice of your healthcare provider.

[read Amy's full post]

by Nicole Elias, RD, LD

Step 1: Tuesday – decide you want to start eating better next week.

Step 2: Wednesday and Thursday eat normally.

Step 3: Eat out on Friday and decide your diet is already blown for Saturday, but its ok you will start Monday.

Step 4: Binge out on Sunday – your last day of food freedom

Step 5: Forget you were supposed to eat better this morning, but promise to start next Monday.

Repeat steps 1 through 5

I was inspired to write this blog after hearing my fiancée tell me it’s ok to eat the whole pizza, because Monday he’s going on a diet.  It made me laugh, because it was probably the 50^th time I’ve heard this from him.  He is a big believer in starting things on Monday, so it doesn’t matter how much junk he consumes until then.   And he’s not the only one with this mentality.

Yes, even I’ve fallen into the “I’ll be better on Monday” trap.  So what makes Monday this magical day that will better your chances of eating healthier?  Nothing.  I call it diet denial and it’s a way we cope with our bad eating habits.  We don’t feel as bad eating that extra serving of dessert, because come Monday, we will really cut back.

If this sounds like you, don’t wait until Monday!  Start now – even if it’s a Friday or 7 in the evening.  Go for a walk.  Have an extra serving of vegetables.  Pack a healthy lunch for tomorrow.  Make healthy changes right away.  After all, we have enough pressure on Mondays as it is.

Have you recently made any changes to your diet?  How’s it going?  Is there anything I can do to help?  I’d love to hear from you.

This is a fun one.  So it seems that scientists in France are reporting that the striking eye makeup worn by ancient Egyptian royals may have been used for more than just beauty.  New research suggests that the ancient cosmetics may have helped prevent or treat eye diseases!

From Science Daily -

Christian Amatore, Philippe Walter, and colleagues note that thousands of years ago the ancient Egyptians used lead-based substances as cosmetics, including an ingredient in black eye makeup. Some Egyptians believed that this makeup also had a “magical” role in which the ancient gods Horus and Ra would protect wearers against several illnesses. Until now, however, modern scientists largely dismissed that possibility, knowing that lead-based substances can be quite toxic.

It seems the makeup reacted with the skin causing an increase in the production of nitric oxide in skin cells, which can help boost the immune system and prevent or treat eye infections – a common occurrence for ancient Egyptians due to contaminated water.

While it’s unknown if the makeup was specifically produced for health reasons, “it is clear that such intentional production remains the first known example of a large-scale chemical process,” the study authors wrote.

[read article]

Inspired by my good friend Joe Rybicki’s Open-Thread Wednesday on his blog PlasticAxe.com (a blog devoted to music inspired games like Guitar Hero and RockBand), I’ve decided this blog needs a similar feature.

So, welcome to – dah dah dah daaaaah – Open-Thread Thursdays.

Basically each Thursday, let’s just have a chat.  Do you have a recent experience with a natural product that you’d like to share?  How about a nagging question that you’d love to finally get that answer to?  This is the place to do it.

With this in mind, I’d like to share an experience I had this week with the product Sinus – Take Care by New Chapter.  My son and wife have recently suffered through a week of coughing, runny noses and mild fevers.  I have been determined not to catch it – and I haven’t, sort of.

While I haven’t had anything near what they had – no cough, no fever, I have seemed to develop a bit of a head cold.  On day 2 I arrived at work pretty cold-y.  I’ve heard good things about Sinus Take Care but haven’t had a chance to use it.  So once I got to work, I popped one softgel and within probably 10 minutes, I felt better.  In fact, I was amazed how quickly my head cleared.  Note – I did take this on an empty stomach, so I definitely felt the warming of the oregano, but it didn’t bother me at all.

While I didn’t want to EVER have to use this product, (I actually joked about this with Jen Luse in the podcast Time tested herbal defense), I’m really happy with the results and highly recommend it next time you have to get through the work day but want to go the natural route!

What about you?

[image source]

by Michael Ventresca

Yeah blueberries!  Often heralded as a superior source of antioxidants, new research finds drinking a daily dose of wild blueberry juice improved the memory of older adults with age-related memory problems.

Here’s what they found:

…researchers looked at the effects of drinking wild blueberry juice on memory decline in nine adults in their 70s who were experiencing age-related memory decline problems, such as memory lapses.

The participants drank about two and a half cups each day of blueberry juice made from commercially available frozen wild blueberries for 12 weeks. A comparison group of seven older adults drank a similar amount of placebo non-juice beverage for the same time period.

Researchers conducted memory tests, such as word association and list learning and recall tasks, at the beginning and end of the study.

The results showed that those who drank blueberry juice showed significant improvement on learning and memory tests compared to the placebo group.

While this is the first study of its kind, it’s yet another reason to include a serving of wild blueberries in your diet.   I like Wyman’s.  If you’re not a fan of eating or drinking wild blueberries, MegaFood offers a Wild Blueberry tablet.

[read article]

by Michael Ventresca

Usually, I like to be positive.  Most of the time I try to present information regarding how a natural product can help us get and stay healthy.  But today, I’m going to be a little negative.  I don’t mean to pick on Meridia – but I’ll get to that.  First, the important stuff:

In case you haven’t heard the FDA is warning that people with a history of heart problems should not take the weight-loss pill Meridia because the drug can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke in such people.

In an article from MedicineNet.com,

Specifically, the drug should not be used by people with a history of coronary artery disease (e.g., heart attack, angina), stroke or transient ischemic attack, heart arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, or uncontrolled high blood pressure, the agency said.

Patients taking Meridia (sibutramine) should talk with their doctor to see if continued use of the drug is safe, the FDA said.

These new warnings were based on results from a 10,000-patient study of Meridia released in November.  However, this is not the first time concerns have been raised:

The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen asked the FDA to take Meridia off the market late last year, contending there had been a total of 84 deaths associated with the drug reported to FDA as of last June., the Associated Press reported.

This is very important information and I’m glad the FDA is warning consumers.  But here’s where I jump up on my soapbox – how can so many drugs like this be approved in the first place?!

So often I’m asked if a specific dietary supplement has been approved by the FDA, as if this implies a sense of safety.  Doesn’t it seem all too often to be the case that a drug is approved by the FDA only to shortly after hitting the market produce more serious side effects than initially thought?  If FDA approval means it has been rigorously studied for safety and effectiveness, how can we find out that Merida increases the risk of heart attack and stroke in those that have conditions often related to obesity – the very people who would look to take Merida.

For the record, I’m not anti-drug.  I believe prescription medicines have their place in modern health-care, but I guess I just don’t get what it means to be FDA approved sometimes.

[Read the article]