How green is your medicine?

I like this quote from Genie Rowson:

Green medicine stimulates the body's own healing mechanisms to repair and rebuild itself, and help reverse illness and encourage healing. This approach differs considerably from the more conventional medicine we know so well, which suppresses our symptoms (which are actually the body's healing mechanisms). But does green medicine really work? The answer is yes. Absolutely! Greener systems of medicine such as acupuncture, Chinese medicine and homeopathy are gaining new converts every day, because they really do work! Millions of people worldwide have been healed through these gentler, safer, non-toxic alternatives. There is a wordwide movement towards greener options in every aspect of life.

If you're into homeopathy, check out Genie's web site - There's A Remedy For That. She has a great ailments page with suggestions for homeopathic remedies for a whiole host of complaints.

Herbs for health

We are currently trying to grow Goji berries in our garden. I like an Alara muesli that has dry goji berries in it, but it would be fantastic to be able to pick fresh ones and add them to my breakfast muesli.

I've just come across an article which lists 50 herbs and gives some indication about how to grow them. This is what it says about Goji berries:

These all function berries can help the liver, improve fertility, and help you live longer. They grow best in temperate regions.

Not sure about improving fertility (I'm 61), but living longer and helping my liver - definitely.

help for baby colic

having a baby with colic is distressing both for the mum and for the baby.

A recent study suggests that bacteria in the gut cause inflammation and the distress associated with colic.

Probiotics are known to increase the number of good bacteria and reduce the number of bad bacteria in the gut, but you need to be careful about giving young children probiotics willy-nilly.

Fortunately among all the other great probiotic formulae we sell there's a probiotic formula specifically for children (over 6 months of age). It comes in sachets and so can be added to food.

It's also great for pregnant mums, helping them to give the right strains of bacteria to their baby as it comes down the birth canal.

Avoid Dying Before Your Time

Smoking, high blood pressure and being overweight are the leading preventable risk factors for premature mortality in the United States, according to a new study led by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), with collaborators from the University of Toronto and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. The researchers found that smoking is responsible for 467,000 premature deaths each year, high blood pressure for 395,000, and being overweight for 216,000. The effects of smoking work out to be about one in five deaths in American adults, while high blood pressure is responsible for one in six deaths.

It is the most comprehensive study yet to look at how diet, lifestyle and metabolic risk factors for chronic disease contribute to mortality in the U.S. The study appears in the April 28, 2009 edition of the open-access journal PLoS Medicine.

"The large magnitude of the numbers for many of these risks made us pause," said Goodarz Danaei, a doctoral student at HSPH and the lead author of the study. "To have hundreds of thousands of premature deaths caused by these modifiable risk factors is shocking and should motivate a serious look at whether our public health system has sufficient capacity to implement interventions and whether it is currently focusing on the right set of interventions." Majid Ezzati, associate professor of international health at HSPH, is the study's senior author.

The researchers also found large effects from a series of other preventable dietary and lifestyle risk factors. Below are the numbers of deaths in the U.S. due annually to each of the individual risk factors examined:

Smoking: 467,000
High blood pressure: 395,000
Overweight-obesity: 216,000
Inadequate physical activity and inactivity: 191,000
High blood sugar: 190,000
High LDL cholesterol: 113,000
High dietary salt: 102,000
Low dietary omega-3 fatty acids (seafood): 84,000
High dietary trans fatty acids: 82,000
Alcohol use: 64,000 (alcohol use averted a balance of 26,000 deaths from heart disease, stroke and diabetes, because moderate drinking reduces risk of these diseases. But these deaths were outweighed by 90,000 alcohol-related deaths from traffic and other injuries, violence, cancers and a range of other diseases).
Low intake of fruits and vegetables: 58,000
Low dietary poly-unsaturated fatty acids: 15,000

All of the deaths calculated in the study were considered premature or preventable in that the victims would not have died when they did if they had not been subject to the behaviors or activities linked to their deaths.

Swine Flu Prevention And Treatment

Here's some great advice from Grace DaSilva-Hill, a homeopathic practitioner:

The best way to keep well is to not connect with the type of fear and alarm that we sometimes hear in the news; eat well with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, drink a lot of good quality water, and supplement with good quality Vitamin C if you feel you need it; many people are taking the herb Astragalus which is what I normally recommend in the winter months to boost the immune system.

Several of my patients (adults and children) have now had swine flu, and I am pleased to say that they have all recovered with the use of homeopathic remedies.

Another way to keep well is to take your constitutional homeopathic remedy; I advise that people take this at least once a year to strengthen the immune system; this way you can cope with anything that may come your way.

There is also a combination of 3 hom. remedies that I have been recommending to people to take as prophylaxis (twice weekly) to avoid getting the flu.

Visit Grace's web site.

Making Changes

I love this article by Marshall Goldsmith in which he talks about why some people just don't get things done and what they need to do about it.

He says:

At the end of my sessions, I ask leaders (who have received 360-degree feedback) to follow up with their co-workers and ask for ongoing ideas about how they can continue to become more effective. A year later, about 70% do some version of this recommended follow-up (as reported by their co-workers, not by them); 30% do absolutely nothing.

He then goes on to explain why he thinks those people do nothing and what they can do to make the ecessary shift. Do read the article.

Travelling Abroad? Don't Get An Upset Tummy

The dreaded tummy upset spoils many holidays, but it can be largely avoided by taking probiotics (preferably starting before you go).

The probiotics help to maintain a coating of friendly bacteria in the intestines to
support natural immunity and digestive health. This means that unfriendly bugs find it difficult to get attached to the intestinal wall and so are more likely to be flushed away.

There are lots of probiotic drinks and supplements out there, but not all of them will work for this very specialised situation.

You need:

• Probiotic strains that can survive hot conditions and do not need to be refrigerated.
• Probiotic strains that are particularly good at coating the wall of the intestine.

Our Travel Probiotic Formula contain 4 important probiotic strains that can do just that:

• Bifidobacterium longum Rosell-175 colonises primarily in the large intestine (or colon). In this region it promotes the production of antibodies, supports the body against toxins and inhibits the development of undesirable bacteria by competitively excluding their attachment to the intestinal wall lining. In addition, a healthy balance of bifidobacteria supports the intestines in assisting transit and optimising a healthy frequency and regularity of bowel movements.

• Saccharomyces boulardii – a unique probiotic yeast which is sold widely in the US, Scandinavia, Germany & France. S. boulardii has undergone extensive clinical research proving its ability to flush out pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella (responsible for 70% of Traveller’s Diarrhoea) and to have therapeutic benefits against diarrhoea.

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus Rosell-11 – a natural component of the friendly bacteria in the intestines; the species is one of the most studied in the probiotic world. L. rhamnosus Rosell-11 has been proven to resist bile and gastric acidity over pH 3 – therefore if taken at mealtimes (when pH is around 4), it will pass through the stomach without being damaged. L. rhamnosus Rosell-11 is able to bind strongly to the intestinal cells and helps maintain a strong immune system.

• Lactobacillus acidophilus Rosell-52 – a natural resident of the intestinal microflora; this strain of friendly bacteria has been well studied.

Directions
As a food supplement For travelling abroad can be given to adults and children (over 3 years) with the following recommendations: take one capsule daily with food (ideally with breakfast), preferably starting 3-5 days before departure, continuing during travel abroad and for a few days upon return or as professionally directed.

For young children (under 8 years) or any patient unable to swallow capsules, the content of the capsules may be mixed with a cold meal or beverage.

Safety
It is not recommended to give probiotics to severely immunosuppressed patients, post cardiac surgery patients, patients with pancreatitis, patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or patients with blood in the stool unless under a doctor’s care.

Buy travel probiotics here.

Information And Remedies For Swine Flu

Lots of people are really scared about swine flu, so I've posted three article son our web site to help you see what you need to do:

Swine Flu And High Temperatures

Essential Oils And Herbs To Protect Against Swine Flu And Treat The Symptoms

Choosing A Thermometer

Health And Goodness has its own Facebook page

I've just set up a page for healthandgoodness.com on Facebook. If you have a Facebook account, do take a look and become a fan if you like what you see.

Do vitamin B12 pills help weight loss?

Someone sent me an email asking this question.

Here's my reply:

I do not know of any evidence that supports this idea, except possibly that if you are B12 deficient you are likely to be tired and not want to exercise. Exercise plus sensible eating plus good nutrition leads to weight loss success for many people.

That said our customers report that our weight loss supplement which addresses possible nutritional deficiencies that can slow metabolism and produce cravings successfully helps people lose weight.

But it's no good thinking that you can permanently lose weight and look great with any sort of weight loss pill on its own. That idea is part of the 'you can have whatever you want NOW without saving, without hard work without self-discipline, without considering other people, without considering the future of the planet' and look what a mess that has got us into.

But I'm still interested in the initial question, so have anyone found vitamin B12 helpful for weight loss?

Great cycling clothes for women

I'm a keen cyclist and an avid Tour de France watcher - this year is so exciting.

I also like the cycling clothes from Terry - fun, stylish clycling clothes for women of all shapes and sizes.

I smiled at this great "Queen of the Mountain" tee with tasteful polka dots on one sleeve - for those of you not in the know - in the Tour there is a race for king of the mountain and the winner of that wears a polka dot tee.

A while ago i wrote some tips for those just starting out in cycling.

Help reduce animal suffering - shareholders needed

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is working on a campaign to seek commitments from several prominent companies to end their charitable donations that specifically fund antiquated, unscientific, cruel, and ineffective animal research. We will be filing a number of shareholder proposals to request that the companies implement policies on humane giving. These new policies would end the financial support of animal research with little, if any, human health value, and instead promote the charitable support of humane, nonanimal research with human health benefits. We are in need of persons owning stock in the above listed companies to support these proposals. These proposals are an important step in our efforts to end cruel and ineffective animal research. Our filing deadlines will be quickly approaching in the coming months, so we need to hear from you soon to diligently proceed.

We need one or more shareholders for each one of the companies. The stock must be worth at least $2,000 and have been held at least since September 2008. The stock can be held in your own name, or by your broker, but it cannot be owned through a mutual fund. If you or someone you know fits into this category, and is interested in helping, please contact PCRM attorney Katherine Lin either by e-mail at klin@pcrm.org or by phone at 202-686-2210, ext. 350. If you would like to help, please act now.

Vegetables Much Better Than Drugs at Building Bone Density

Interesting information from the Keefe Clinic:

The evidence continues to pour in that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is good for your health. In this case, researchers found that both young and old age groups had improvements in bone mineral status when they ate a lot of fruits and vegetables.

Specifically, boys and girls aged 16-18 years and women aged 60-83 years had significant positive associations between spine bone mineral content and fruit intake. In boys, the association was true for neck bone mineral content as well.

Among women aged 60-83 years, a significant positive association was also found between spine bone mineral content and fruit intake. The results found that if fruit intake doubled, it would result in a 5 percent increment in spine bone mineral content.

Previous studies have also found associations between fruit and vegetable intake and positive measures of bone health.

It is not yet known how fruits and vegetables may affect the bones, though some suggest it may be the alkalizing effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on acid-base balance. Other possible mechanisms include the dietary effects of vitamin K, phytoestrogens and other unidentified dietary components they contain.

References:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition June 2006, Vol. 83, No. 6, 1420-1428
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition June 2006, Vol. 83, No. 6, 1254-1255

Organic Skin Care from Yin Yang Skincare

I really like the folks and products at Yin Yang Skincare. 3 of their products are packages in aluminium because this can be recycled – and recycled – and recycled, infinitely.

The pure botanical skincare products are

Yin Yang Skin Cleanser
Yin Yang Orange Flower Tonic
Yin Yang p H-Amino Gold Defence Lotion

I particularly like the Amino Gold Defence Lotion. I used it on my legs and arms when I did a long bicycle ride recently (970 miles in 12 days) to protect my skin from the sun, but without having to resort to strong chemicals. It is rich in the anti-oxidant vitamin E, derived from wheatgerm oil. Smells divine too - that's the essential oils of sweet orange and lavender. A great cream for athletes, mountaineers, skiers, cyclists, swimmers and horse riders, offering excellent protection for the skin from sun & wind damage.

Weight Loss Pills -stuff that works

We continue to get good feedback on our weight loss supplement - WeightLess - it works for lots of people to speed up metabolism and reduce cravings - a double pronged attack on over-eating. Not suitable if you are sensitive to caffeine, but fine for vegetarians, and we offer a 60-day money-back guarantee - can't say fairer than that.

Weight Loss Pills with a Money-Back Guarantee

Hormone Replacement Therapy Breast Tumours

Previous studies have found that postmenopausal women who have taken a combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy have increased their risk of developing progestin-accelerated breast tumors. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that curcumin, a popular Indian spice derived from the turmeric root, could reduce the cancer risk for women after exposure to hormone replacement therapy.

This adds another great benefit to those we already know about - it's an anti-inflammatory herb that is helpful for shoulder, knee and elbow pain and stiffness. Many sufferers from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis also find it useful for its soothing properties. This might sound odd for a spice you associate with curries, but it's there to give colour to the dish not heat.

If you don't fancy eating lots and lots of turmeric. Try our turmeric tablets which have a standradised amount of curcumin - the active ingredient that all the research rests on.

The Best Muesli In the World

I just love the muesli from Alara. They do some interesting varieties and now I've discovered that my local Morrison's supermarket sells one of them - Goji and Yacon.

It's just wonderful and feels like a great way to start the day. The company is doing all the right things too .. aiming to be Carbon neutral by 2010.

They sell orgnaic muesli, a great one for coeliac's and lots more.

Ginkgo Biloba for memory, depression, Alzheimers, vertigo and more

The herb Ginkgo Biloba is rightly prized for its ability to aid memory and concentration.

The tree that the herb comes from is known as a living fossil, because it has been around for millions of years. Ginkgo has long been cultivated in China; some planted trees at temples are believed to be over 1,500 years old. Is it this longevity that gives it an affinity with the trials and tribulations of getting older?

As well as aiding memory and concentration, it may slow down the progress of Alzheimer's disease, and lessen depression and anxiety in the elderly. Ginkgo increases blood flow to the arms and legs, as well as to the brain, so alleviating coldness in the extremities (Raynaud's disease). It may reduce shortness of breath by improving blood flow to the heart. It may also help with tinnitus, dizziness (vertigo) and leg cramps.

Caution: consult your doctor first if you are taking anti-coagulants (e.g. aspirin and warfarin), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) or are pregnant or breast-feeding.

There are many Ginkgo Biloba supplements on the market, but unfortunately many of them contain little of the active ingredients that have been shown to be beneficial in clinical trials. As in so many other areas of life, you get what you pay for. Many of the cheaper brands are not manufactured in the UK. In a recent survey, a staggering 8 out of the 12 UK retail brands failed to meet the 24% flavonglycosides figure. Lamberts Ginkgo 6000mg, the one we sell, was shown to be the best value for money product in terms of quality and price. Each tablet contains a concentrated extract, standardised at 28.8mg (24%) flavonglycosides.

And we're doing 3 for two at the moment. Check it out.

Good housekeeping tip

This came into my Inbox today and made me smile. I hope it does you too:

Always keep several get well cards on the mantle....
so if unexpected guests arrive, they will think you've been sick and unable to clean!

Talking of housework, there’s some evidence that overzealous cleaning can contribute to allergies – read more about this fascinating idea - is dirt good for you?

Do Scientists Exaggerate?

Research scientists like to promote themselves as objective, disinterested tellers of the truth, but a letter in the UK independent newspaper on 8th July 2009 suggests a different picture altogether.

Bob Ward, Policy and Communications Director, Grantham Research Institute On climate Change And the Environment at The London school Of Economics, refers in his letter to some research that found that “just 42% of press releases issued by US academic medical centres provided relevant caveats about the research they described, and 29% exaggerated the importance of their findings.”

In a way this is not surprising, many scientists and doctors are ambitious and want to succeed and be recognised. What they are displaying are common human failings, but we need to remember that these press releases form the basis of what most journalists write, and what journalists write influences our views on how powerful and successful science and medicine are.