What
Kind of Doctor is Best For You?
Most
people typically choose an MD and possibly also use some form of natural
treatment like chiropractic, acupuncture, therapeutic massage or several
others. The fastest growing sector in medical treatment has been the natural
treatments. People want the option of using a natural treatment for some things
where those treatments are most effective without the use of drugs or surgery.
So
here is an idea that most of you may not have considered. Why not use a primary
doctor that can do both Allopathic treatment (like an M.D.) and also some natural
treatments? That unique combination exists in a Doctor of Osteopathy or a D.O.
A
D.O. can do everything that your medical doctor does, but their approach to
treatment is usually much different taking your whole body into consideration
and treating the source of the problem instead of just the symptom. They
typically spend much more time with you to learn as much as they can about your
body and what it needs. This allows them to help figure out what the real cause
is and resolve it instead of just giving you some drugs to mask the problem.
D.O.s
receive all of the normal Medical Doctor schooling, but are also trained in the
use of manipulation similar to a chiropractor but a little gentler approach. They
are also much more open to the use of massage, meditation, acupuncture and other
forms of treatment. For me, this is a great choice, because there are times
that drugs and surgery are definitely needed, but if I can achieve a good
result by using a more natural approach that works with my body to heal itself
as it is designed to do, then that is always my first choice, and should be
yours.
D.O.s
are not always easy to find, but I managed to find one near me that is part of
Group Health, so it is worth asking for one if you want to use one. I
personally believe that in the future there will be more and more D.O.s
available as people seek a more natural approach to treating illness. You might
consider using a D.O. as your primary doctor who can discuss ALL treatment options
and not just the Allopathic ones.
Be
aware though, not all D.O.s follow the natural approach. Some may have gone to
a D.O. medical school because the M.D. schools were too full to get in. They
may see themselves really as more of an M.D. that only wants to use allopathic
methods in treating their patients. Be sure to ask your D.O. what their
approach is and find one that believes in using all the treatment options
including natural ones. I think you will be much happier and healthier in the
end.
Omega-7s May be a Game Changer as we Age
For millions of Americans, the "forgotten omega" might just be a lifesaver!
If you think that I'm talking about omega-3s -- the fatty acid I've told you so much about that's found in fish -- I'm not.
And amazingly, this other, little-known omega might even be a more powerful way to protect your health. The problem is, the only places where you'll find decent amounts of it are in a shrub that grows high in the Himalayas or in a treat that you may not have eaten since Uncle Bob brought some back from his Hawaiian vacation.
If omega-7s are new to you, join the club. While omega-3s get the lion's share of publicity, omega-7s have been largely ignored. And that's a real shame.
Because while omega-3s have a ton of health benefits, it's possible that these other, lesser-known omegas may top all others in terms of slashing your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Some new research has found how omega-7s can significantly reduce a marker in blood that is a telltale sign of inflammation. It also discovered that omega-7s can lower triglycerides (a kind of fat found in your blood that is a measure of heart health), lower so-called "bad" cholesterol and up the good kind, and decrease insulin resistance.
But there's even more good news about omega-7s.
Research has also found that it can help lower what's called "visceral fat" -- a dangerous kind of "deep" body (belly) fat that can wrap around major organs. And that could also mean a decrease in that "muffin top" you keep stuffing into your waistband whenever you sit down -- the one that's almost impossible to diet away.
In fact, it's starting to look like omega-7s are the new darlings of the scientific world. I'm sure it won't be long until Big Pharma tries to imitate it in the laboratory and get a super-expensive drug on the market.
But here's the thing: While omega-3s are found in lots of foods, omega-7s are a whole other story.
If your diet includes a fair amount of fatty fish such as wild salmon, walnuts, and seeds such as chia seeds, you're golden where omega-3s are concerned. But the richest source of omega-7s is a plant that grows high in the Himalayan Mountains called "sea buckthorn." This rare shrub produces what many have dubbed "miracle berries," bright orange little berries that have been used for centuries to treat health problems.
And while tiny amounts of omega-7s are found in fish, it's almost impossible to get enough from fish alone. Actually, the only other really good source happens to be the macadamia nut!
So unless you climb mountains in Tibet, live in Hawaii or can afford to fill your shopping cart with these nuts, your food sources of omega-7s are pretty much slim to none.
Luckily, however, omega-7s can easily be found in many different brands of dietary supplements. You may see omega-7s listed in the ingredients, or you may just see it referred to as "palmitoleic acid," which is the purified form used to make supplements.
Another great find from the study I told you about earlier is that those amazing heart-healthy benefits (including the drop in cholesterol and lowering of inflammation) were achieved in only 30 days.
So here we have a readily available, safe supplement that can protect your heart, lower amounts of deadly body fat and slash your risk of diabetes -- and do it all in just a month.
While I'm sure Big Pharma is going to try, I dare them to come up with something that can compete with that!
Turmeric Shown To Fight Cancer
If you or a loved one is fighting cancer, you know how frightening the thought of that cancer spreading, or metastasizing, is.
Rounds of radiation or chemo are often used to try and kill cancer cells that may have broken away before they can set up shop again.
But while doctors and drugmakers keep searching for new ways to stop cancer in its tracks, it looks like the most promising compound has been available to us all along.
In fact, it could be sitting in your kitchen right now!
I've been telling you about the health properties of curcumin – the active ingredient in the spice turmeric – for quite a while.
This pungent spice has been found to reduce plaque in the arteries, help with depression as effectively as drugs such as Prozac and be as potent as steroids in reducing inflammation.
Now, a new study has found that curcumin looks to be an extremely powerful agent in stopping cancer from spreading.
Researchers from universities in France and Australia have found that the compound can actually "interrupt" several metabolic pathways that cancer cells use to metastasize. Curcumin can also help in the fight against lung, breast, stomach, uterine and colon cancer.
In that study, researchers at Saint Louis University found that curcumin, when used in conjunction with the herb silymarin, could inhibit colon cancer cells from both multiplying and spreading. And when they pre-exposed the cancer cells to curcumin and then treated them with silymarin, the malignant cells started dying off in droves!
It's obvious that Big Pharma would love it if all this exciting news about turmeric would stay a deep dark secret. But what researchers have been finding out about the spice is just so amazing that drugmakers can't seem to keep a lid on it.
Surprisingly, a recent segment in a CBS news show was actually devoted to turmeric and its healing properties. And if you watch any network shows for more than five minutes, you know how many drug ads they run. Why, the three networks are practically supported by Big Pharma!
That CBS segment even told how clinical trials are now running to test curcumin as an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
And Alzheimer's is something Big Pharma's hasn't been able to crack, despite all the money it has poured into research.
A perfect example is the third epic fail of the Eli Lilly Alzheimer's drug solanezumab. And this last dud experiment was with patients who were only showing mild symptoms of the disease!
Turmeric, on the other hand, appears to be able to do what all these experimental drugs haven't -- actually prevent amyloid proteins from clumping together in your brain.
At UCLA researchers found that curcumin supplements taken with vitamin D3, were able to stimulate the immune system enough to clear brain plaques. And that, along with finding an effective way to keep cancer from spreading, is the Holy Grail of what drug companies are trying to accomplish.
So if you have some turmeric sitting in your spice rack, you might want to move it front and center, and start using it more often. One study found that just adding it to your cooking for one dish a week is enough to deliver some real benefits to your brain.
And turmeric supplements are certainly easy enough to find.
One thing to remember is that turmeric can act as a blood thinner and should be avoided if you're taking a prescription to thin your blood.
Until next time, stay healthy and happy
If you or a loved one is fighting cancer, you know how frightening the thought of that cancer spreading, or metastasizing, is.
Rounds of radiation or chemo are often used to try and kill cancer cells that may have broken away before they can set up shop again.
But while doctors and drugmakers keep searching for new ways to stop cancer in its tracks, it looks like the most promising compound has been available to us all along.
In fact, it could be sitting in your kitchen right now!
I've been telling you about the health properties of curcumin – the active ingredient in the spice turmeric – for quite a while.
This pungent spice has been found to reduce plaque in the arteries, help with depression as effectively as drugs such as Prozac and be as potent as steroids in reducing inflammation.
Now, a new study has found that curcumin looks to be an extremely powerful agent in stopping cancer from spreading.
Researchers from universities in France and Australia have found that the compound can actually "interrupt" several metabolic pathways that cancer cells use to metastasize. Curcumin can also help in the fight against lung, breast, stomach, uterine and colon cancer.
In that study, researchers at Saint Louis University found that curcumin, when used in conjunction with the herb silymarin, could inhibit colon cancer cells from both multiplying and spreading. And when they pre-exposed the cancer cells to curcumin and then treated them with silymarin, the malignant cells started dying off in droves!
It's obvious that Big Pharma would love it if all this exciting news about turmeric would stay a deep dark secret. But what researchers have been finding out about the spice is just so amazing that drugmakers can't seem to keep a lid on it.
Surprisingly, a recent segment in a CBS news show was actually devoted to turmeric and its healing properties. And if you watch any network shows for more than five minutes, you know how many drug ads they run. Why, the three networks are practically supported by Big Pharma!
That CBS segment even told how clinical trials are now running to test curcumin as an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
And Alzheimer's is something Big Pharma's hasn't been able to crack, despite all the money it has poured into research.
A perfect example is the third epic fail of the Eli Lilly Alzheimer's drug solanezumab. And this last dud experiment was with patients who were only showing mild symptoms of the disease!
Turmeric, on the other hand, appears to be able to do what all these experimental drugs haven't -- actually prevent amyloid proteins from clumping together in your brain.
At UCLA researchers found that curcumin supplements taken with vitamin D3, were able to stimulate the immune system enough to clear brain plaques. And that, along with finding an effective way to keep cancer from spreading, is the Holy Grail of what drug companies are trying to accomplish.
So if you have some turmeric sitting in your spice rack, you might want to move it front and center, and start using it more often. One study found that just adding it to your cooking for one dish a week is enough to deliver some real benefits to your brain.
And turmeric supplements are certainly easy enough to find.
One thing to remember is that turmeric can act as a blood thinner and should be avoided if you're taking a prescription to thin your blood.
Until next time, stay healthy and happy
JD
Roma
The
information on this blog is provided for educational purposes only. It is not a
substitute for professional medical care, and medical advice and services are
not being offered. If you have, or suspect you have, a health problem you
should consult your physician (preferably a Naturopath).
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