• God forgive me when I whine
• The National Cholesterol Education Program
• Study Flaws Cast Doubt on Claims of Vitamin E Danger
• The Foundation For All Great Achievement
• Eggs are good food
• True Cost of Smoking
• Flu deaths exaggerated
• Best treatment is often no treatment at all
• YOU’RE GETTING SLEEEEEEPY
• More important to be in shape than thin
• Want to Lose Weight? Eat Your Breakfast
• Proper Pain Relief Is on the Way
• STAAR permanent contact lenses to supplement Lasik
• Acid in soft drinks dissolves tooth enamel
• Karo Syrup Increases Appetite
• SuperOrganics
• Ear Infection Detector
• McDonald’s chief executive dies
• U.S. Study Links Worrying to Alzheimer’s
• In an emergency, skip mouth-to-mouth
• Golden Rules
• The Physics Diet
• Ear candles neither safe nor effective
• Eating without rules
• Ear candling
• Therapies: Hypnosis Can Be a Hit in the Gut
• Obesity predicted for 40% of America
• Neuroscience and Meditation
• Most heart attacks from bad habits
• Obesity, Vision, and Teeth
• Nasal Treatment for Hay fever
• The Appreciative Heart: The Psychophysiology of Positive Emotions and Optimal Functioning
• Seatbelts help protect moms-to-be in crashes
• Right Attitudes Keep Colds at Bay
• Patients’ depression better predictor of poor quality of life
• Here’s the Scoop: Ice Cream More Fattening
• Survey: Americans clean their plates, no matter how full
• In The Wellness Flow
• More people search for health online
• Dr. Atkins: What He Got Right, What He Got Wrong
• Women may ovulate more than once a month, study says
• Aspartame is a poison
• The Chemistry of Stress
• Predator fish and mercury levels in pregnancy
• Hormone replacement linked to aggressive tumors
• CDC Issues Diabetes Warning for Children
• Ever Need to Apologize?
• Stress is a Drug Addiction
• Meditation is Easy
• Impotence warning for bicyclists
• Mums-to-be ‘dislike making fuss’
• Sadness and Overeating
• Worriers more prone to cancer
• Exercise may reduce risk of pregnancy complication
• Why don’t we like veggies?
• ‘Good’ bacteria may thwart allergies in toddlers
• Laziness makes for dangerous fat - U.S. study
• Obesity epidemic set to get worse
• Birth center delivery safe, less surgery: study
• W.Va.: Stop the soda super-sizing
• Smoking speeds up memory loss in middle age
• Young children served large portions may overeat
• Touch of nature eases pain
• More warnings over tongue piercing
• Focus on pregnancy coffee risk
• Baby formula linked to hypertension
• World health body adopts historic anti-smoking pact
• Wolfing down food ups acid reflux, study finds
• Two Studies Indicate Atkins Diet May Improve Heart Health
• Fish May Fight Pregnancy Depression Risks
• Child Care: When Babies Sleep Right Side Up
• Exercise linked to lowered risk of gallstones
• Prehypertensive?
• Stress Stoppers: Techniques To Relax
• Miscarriage more likely with older father: report
• Eating fish in pregnancy does not harm fetus: study
• Lengthy computer use saps energy
• Only Five Minutes Every Hour

God forgive me when I whine

By Og Mandino (adapted from original by Red Foley)

Today upon a bus I saw a lovely girl with golden hair. I envied
her - she seemed so gay - and wished I were as fair. But suddenly
she rose to leave. I saw her hobble down the isle, she had only one
leg and wore a crutch, but as she passed, a smile…

Oh, God forgive me when I whine,

I have two legs, the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold them had such charm. I
stopped to talk to him, he seemed so glad - if I was late could do
no harm. As I left he said to me, “I thank-you, you had been so
kind. It’s nice to talk to folks like you, you see,” he said, “I am
blind.”

Oh, God forgive me when I whine,

I have two eyes, the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of
blue. He stood and watched the others play, he did not know what to
do. I stopped a moment and said, “Why don’t you join the others,
dear?” He looked ahead without a word and then I knew, he couldn’t
hear.

Oh, God forgive me when I whine,

I have two ears, the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I go, with eyes to see the sun-set glow,
with ears to hear what I would know.

Oh, God forgive me when I whine,

I am blessed indeed, the world is mine!

The National Cholesterol Education Program

How were the manufacturers of statin drugs able to convince nearly the entire population that we should all have the same cholesterol levels? Easy. They got the government to make the recommendation for them.

The latest cholesterol-level guidelines issued by the federal government effectively “qualify” 36 million Americans for statin drugs. The government received these guidelines from the influential National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) - an organization with a stated goal to “reduce the number of people with high cholesterol.”

Sounds noble. Any chance that they may have a hidden agenda? Maybe.

Turns out that eight of the nine doctors who make up the NCEP board have made money from the cholesterol-lowering drugs they promote - clearly a conflict of interests. And here’s some additional background on the nine NCEP board members:

- Two of them own stock in statin drugs.
- Two others worked for drug companies after setting the guidelines.
- One of them was a consultant for 10 drug companies.
- Another was serving on the board of a drug company.

(Reference: USA Today, October 2004)

Before you artificially force your blood pressure lower, be very sure that you properly investigate all sides of the approach. Visit http://www.mercola.com as well as understand why cholesterol is a natural protector and a vital component in body health. Look at how, perhaps, other aspects of your diet such as a high intake of sugar may be contributing. And, if you do take the drugs, make sure you look into Coenzyme Q10, which the statin drugs can deplete from the body, causing heart issues.

Study Flaws Cast Doubt on Claims of Vitamin E Danger

[The popular press, through its limited interest in presenting complicated facts, often presents studies in a way designed to evoke fear and confusion. Here Dr. Alan Gaby demonstrates that by looking deeper at the facts with an objective eye, we can see that the blanket elimination of higher dose vitamin E supplementation, especially by healthy people, because of a collection of studies that have noteworthy flaws may deprive someone of the therapeutic benefits that have been clearly shown by many other studies over the years.  --Rick]

A Healthnotes Newswire Opinion
By Alan R. Gaby, MD

Healthnotes Newswire (November 18, 2004)—Although a large body of evidence suggests that vitamin E may help or prevent many health conditions, a study to be published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (January 2005) has concluded that supplementing with large doses of vitamin E (400 IU per day or more) may increase death rates. However, the claim that vitamin E may be harmful is far from proven, as significant flaws in the study call this conclusion into question. In addition to the researchers’ acknowledgement that their findings may apply only to people with chronic illnesses (as opposed to healthy people), the millions of people who take this antioxidant vitamin to preserve health and prevent heart disease should also consider the limitations outlined below.

In the study, researchers combined the results of 19 previously published vitamin E supplementation trials that included a total of 135,967 participants. The patients in the various studies were randomly assigned to take vitamin E (in amounts ranging from 16.5 to 2,000 IU per day) or a placebo for at least one year. Most of the patients had one or more chronic diseases (such as heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, or kidney failure) or were at high risk of developing heart disease. In the 19 studies combined, the risk of death due to any cause did not differ significantly between people assigned to vitamin E and those assigned to placebo. However, the effect of vitamin E supplementation on mortality differed according to how much vitamin E was used. In the low-dose studies (less than 400 IU per day), vitamin E supplementation was associated with a small and not statistically significant reduction in the death rate. In the 11 high-dose studies (400 IU per day or more), those who took vitamin E had a 4% increase in risk of death, an increase which, though small, was statistically significant. Based on these findings, the authors of the new study recommend that people limit their vitamin E intake to less than 400 IU per day.

For a number of reasons, that recommendation may be unwarranted. In some of the high-dose studies, certain aspects of the study design preclude any meaningful conclusion about vitamin E. For example, in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), participants received not only vitamin E, but also 80 mg of zinc and 2 mg of copper per day, as well as other nutrients. Supplementing with large doses of zinc (80 mg per day is a fairly large dose) for long periods of time can lead to copper deficiency, which can increase the risk of heart disease and other chronic illnesses. Although copper was also supplemented, it was given in the form of cupric oxide, an insoluble compound that cannot be absorbed by humans. The increase in mortality found in this study could have been due to zinc-induced copper deficiency, and may have had nothing to do with vitamin E supplementation.

In another high-dose vitamin E study (Cambridge Heart Antioxidant Study), the results were complicated by the fact that the vitamin E and placebo groups were not comparable. Even though assignment to the two groups was done randomly, the vitamin E group had significantly higher serum cholesterol levels and significantly greater percentages of participants with high blood pressure, diabetes, cigarette smoking, and severe coronary artery disease, compared with the placebo group. Thus, the people taking vitamin E were sicker than those taking the placebo, a fact that could account for the slight increase in mortality seen in the vitamin E group.

In a third high-dose study (the MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study), participants received synthetic beta-carotene in addition to vitamin E. Researchers have questioned the safety of synthetic beta-carotene (which is chemically different than food-derived beta-carotene), particularly for people who smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol. Previous studies have shown that supplementing with synthetic beta-carotene increases the risk of lung cancer among smokers and increases alcohol-induced liver damage in laboratory animals. It is possible that the increase in mortality found in the MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study was due to the use of synthetic beta-carotene, and may have had nothing to do with vitamin E.

The three studies mentioned in the previous paragraphs included a total of more than 27,000 participants, fully two-thirds of all of the patients in the 11 high-dose vitamin E studies. Consequently, the conclusion that high-dose vitamin E is dangerous is based primarily on the results of these three apparently flawed studies.

Furthermore, if any adverse effect of high-dose vitamin E does exist, the findings might be explained by the type of vitamin E used in the research studies. Vitamin E (also called tocopherol) occurs naturally in food in four different forms, known as alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol. Although approximately 70% of the vitamin E in food is in the form of gamma-tocopherol, most of the nutritional supplements on the market contain only alpha-tocopherol, and all 19 studies included in the new report used alpha-tocopherol by itself.

While alpha-tocopherol has a number of biochemical actions (such as preventing the oxidation of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and inhibiting platelet aggregation) that would be expected to prevent heart disease, certain functions are performed better by gamma-tocopherol. For example, the formation of nitric-oxide-derived free radicals, which appears to be a factor in heart disease development, is inhibited to a greater extent by gamma-tocopherol than by alpha-tocopherol. In addition, gamma-tocopherol possesses certain anticancer effects that are not shared by alpha-tocopherol. Supplementing with large amounts of alpha-tocopherol alone has been found to deplete gamma-tocopherol. Consequently, whatever positive effects are produced by alpha-tocopherol supplementation might be counterbalanced by a reduction of gamma-tocopherol levels in the body, a reduction that would presumably be more pronounced when using higher doses of pure alpha-tocopherol.

If high-dose alpha-tocopherol does adversely affect some people, one might reasonably expect that “mixed tocopherols,” which contain all four naturally occurring forms of vitamin E, would not have the same negative effects. Although mixed tocopherols are more expensive than alpha-tocopherol, the available evidence suggests that mixed tocopherols are the preferable form of vitamin E, both in terms of safety and effectiveness.

Although all of the 19 studies reviewed in the new report used alpha-tocopherol, not all of them used the same type. Alpha-tocopherol is commercially available in two forms: D-alpha-tocopherol (the form that occurs in food and in the body) and D,L-alpha-tocopherol (an equal mixture of D-alpha-tocopherol and its mirror image, L-alpha-tocopherol). The D,L- mixture is less expensive to manufacture than the D- form, and is frequently used in research studies. L-alpha-tocopherol does not occur naturally in food or in the body and has little or no vitamin E activity; preliminary evidence suggests that it may even interfere with some of the effects of D-alpha-tocopherol. Moreover, not much is known about the long-term safety of L-alpha-tocopherol. Of note, in the only large study that used the naturally occurring D-alpha-tocopherol (the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation), the mortality rates in the vitamin E and placebo groups were identical. Thus, if there is a small negative effect of high-dose vitamin E, it might be attributable in part to the use of the unnatural D,L- mixture.

The issues raised in this commentary cast doubt on the reliability of the new study’s conclusions. Of course, if the only good thing one could say about high-dose vitamin E is that it probably does not kill people, there would be no point to this discussion. Years of research, however, suggests that vitamin E may help prevent heart attacks, slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, reduce the deleterious effects of air pollution, and aid in the treatment of intermittent claudication, fibrocystic breast disease, premenstrual syndrome, childhood epilepsy, certain forms of chronic hepatitis, osteoarthritis, and infertility. Nearly all of these studies used 400 IU or more of vitamin E per day. Whether lower doses of mixed tocopherols would be as effective as higher doses of alpha-tocopherol should be a topic of future research.

Alan R. Gaby, MD, an expert in nutritional therapies, testified to the White House Commission on CAM upon request in December 2001. Dr. Gaby served as a member of the Ad-Hoc Advisory Panel of the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine. He is the author of Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis (Prima, 1994), and co-author of The Natural Pharmacy, 2nd Edition (Healthnotes, Three Rivers Press, 1999), the A–Z Guide to Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions (Healthnotes, Three Rivers Press, 1999), Clinical Essentials Volume 1 and 2 (Healthnotes, 2000), and The Patient’s Book of Natural Healing (Prima, 1999). A former professor at Bastyr University of Natural Health Sciences, in Kenmore, WA, where he served as the Endowed Professor of Nutrition, Dr. Gaby is the Chief Medical Editor for Healthnotes, Inc.

Copyright © 2004 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of the Healthnotes® content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Healthnotes, Inc. Healthnotes Newswire is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. Healthnotes, Inc. shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. HEALTHNOTES and the Healthnotes logo are registered trademarks of Healthnotes, Inc.

The Foundation For All Great Achievement

From Philip E. Humbert, PhD, http://www.philiphumbert.com

I’ve been studying human achievement for almost 50 years now (professionally for over 30 years), and the longer I do this work, the more I see that the “recipe” for achievement is much easier than most people believe. In fact, Socrates described it over 2000 years ago with the simple phrase, “Know thyself.”

I am working on a new book that expands this simple idea, and I want to share some preliminary observations with you.

First:  Know your strengths

High achievement comes from knowing what you do well, what you love and where your passion lies. Mid-level performance comes from people who can “get by” or are doing something “acceptable” but they are not using their talents to the maximum. When human beings do something they love and have some talent for, they are unstoppable!

Think about a teenager learning to drive, play sports or music or dance. Think about your own determination to be a great parent, good lover or successful investor. When we are doing something that “makes sense,” something that draws and excites us, we find a way to get the job done. Know yourself and go with your strengths, passions and talents!

Second:  Know your weaknesses

We all have blind spots and weaknesses. We have things we don’t enjoy, or don’t want to do, and yet too often we create lives or careers that ask us to do that very thing! How dumb is that?

If you don’t like detail work, hire a bookkeeper! If you are a quiet person, don’t go into sales or politics!

Unfortunately, most of our weaknesses are not so dramatic and over the years, we find ways to hide them or work around them. Then we end up in situations where we “forget” to do the books, return phone calls or calculate the budget. We get “bored” with meetings or annoyed with “those dreamers” in the R&D department. Know yourself and work around your weaknesses!

Third:  Know what you want

We all have dreams and desires. We know, deep inside, what brings us joy, what excites us, what fires us up. Sometimes, we get confused or lose track of our dreams, but they are still “in there.” The trick is to identify and express them!

The winners in life know what they want and they find healthy, productive ways to go after it. They ask, they poke and prod until they “find a way.” Recently, a client he expressed amazement that since he identified a particular skill he wants to develop, he suddenly sees people doing it all the time! My comment was that “when you know what you want, you’re much more likely to get it.”

Fourth:  Know how to express yourself

The final piece is “finding your voice” or finding your unique way to let the world know you exist. Some do this naturally and become entertainers, politicians or whatever. Others struggle to express themselves in the world, but winners always, eventually, find a way. They speak up. They reach out. They “go for it” and “makes waves.” They voice their suggestions, work for their causes, and make a difference in the world.

High achievement starts by knowing who you are and what you want in life. Then, achievement comes from going after it. That’s not always easy or simple, but winners keep trying “until” they find a way. “Know thyself and to thine own self be true.” There is no stopping a human being who knows who they are, what they want, and who is determined to get it.

Eggs are good food

There is so much worry about eggs as a cause of high cholesterol. But people who I trust have looked at the studies and find that eggs are generally GOOD for the body.

Dr. Sears tells us that eggs are a perfect food. The American Heart Association recommends that you eat seven eggs a week—but he thinks you can safely double that number. Here’s the case he made for doing so in a recent issue of his newsletter, Health Confidential for Men:

* Eggs have only 75 calories, 5 grams of fat, and no trans-fats. They are high in protein and contain 13 essential vitamins and minerals.

* A University of Washington study concluded that people with and without high blood cholesterol levels are better off if they eat two eggs a day. Eggs contain the “good fats” that are heart-healthy.

* Eggs are rich in the nutrient lutein. This nutrient protects against thickening of the arteries. The Los Angeles Atherosclerosis Study found that the more eggs their subjects ate, the better their arteries looked. One egg has more lutein than a large serving of vegetables.

* Aside from being an inexpensive and top-quality source of protein, eggs are filling. You can satiate your appetite and help your brain focus by starting each day with a couple of eggs.

I like mine poached now. If you like the taste of soft-boiled eggs, try poached eggs. Easer, faster, and no shell to peel off!

True Cost of Smoking

Contrary to what many may think, smoking is much more expensive than it is advertised. In fact, it's estimated that actual costs of smoking total nearly $40 a pack.

This estimation includes all the factors associated with smoking, not just merely the cost of one pack of cigarettes. Researchers have broken down these factors by cost:

• $33 a pack for the cost of early deaths, smoking-related disabilities and other factors (which includes $20.28 a pack due to reduced life expectancy)
• $5.44 a pack for the cost of the effect of secondhand smoke on significant others
• $1.44 a pack for the cost of the effect of secondhand smoke on the society as a whole

At approximately $40 for every pack, the total cost over one smoker's lifetime equals nearly $171,000. In past studies, researchers only calculated medical and secondhand smoke costs. However, in this study researchers tried to take into account the entire range of lifetime costs.

The total was calculated using lifetime costs acquired by men and women who smoke at age 24. Researchers also estimated that many of these people would eventually quit. By smoking one pack of cigarettes:

• A smoker's life is cut short by two hours
• Men lose a total of 4.4 years of their life
• Women lose a total of 2.4 years of their life

Interesting enough, many smokers are less afraid of dying than they are of acquiring a disabling disease such as emphysema. Though smokers don't spend much more time with a major disabling condition, they do become disabled sooner, resulting in a sooner death.

Chicago Sun-Times

Flu deaths exaggerated

Flu Deaths Outrageously Exaggerated to Increase Vaccine Sales - Number crunching has showed that the estimated 36,000 flu deaths a year is actually closer to 1,000. Learn the hidden dangers of the flu vaccine and why the CDC is trying so hard to boost demands for it. Also, nothing prevents the flu better than natural alternatives.