Consumer Reports recently released a condensed summary of 6 misleading food labels. The information was eye opening. For example, when people see “no cholesterol” on a peanut butter jar label, what do they typically think? That it’s a good thing, right? But no, wait. Plants don’t have any cholesterol, only animals do. So what’s the term doing on that peanut butter jar? Misleading consumers. It’s been going on for a long time.
In the 1970s, food companies took note of the trend towards “natural foods” that had come out of the early environmental movements that were gaining in popularity. At the time, that term was used to distinguish between manufactured products and whole foods in their natural state. Soon, the big food companies started slapping that word on just about everything. Processed cheese food was natural. So was breakfast cereal. Crackers. Ketchup. Soup. Cookies. Even additives can be defined as “natural,” a term that’s still used today but means absolutely nothing to the food companies. However, many consumers respond emotionally to it, and it helps sell products. For a more recent example, the ketogenic diet is difficult and potentially dangerous, is meant to be short term, and should only be undertaken with professional guidance. It’s a diet that has limited appeal. But “keto” is another one of those terms that a certain percentage of Americans feel is healthful, and manufacturers are slapping it on highly processed, basically unhealthy products. We trust that the 6 misleading labels summary from Consumer Reports will be helpful not only when shopping for those kinds of items, but will inspire more scrutiny of all the food products we consume. Click to read the Consumer Reports article
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There are two basic specialties that deal with mental and emotional conditions, psychologists who primarily use talk therapy, and psychiatrists, who are MDs and typically prescribe pharmaceutical drugs to alleviate symptoms. About a month ago on Facebook Live, Dr. Taketa-Wong hosted a remarkable holistic psychiatrist that prefers to avoid prescribing drugs for his patients. Dr. Erik Shipley incorporates advanced brain health techniques and also considers the role that a patient’s medical issues could play.
In this eye-opening video, Dr. Shipley reveals how patients can be helped by TMS, transcranial magnetic stimulation. TMS is an advanced, cutting edge technology that uses magnetic fields to stimulate the nerve cells in the brain that are involved in mood control and much more. Results are often very impressive. Even military members with PTSD have achieved good results. Dr. Shipley is board certified in child and adolescent psychiatry and general psychiatry and is a specialist with Brain Health Hawaii. He treats disorders such as depression, anxiety, autism spectrum, trauma, PTSD, and many others. Different regions of the brain have certain rhythms, like the heart has a beat. “It’s like a symphony with its different sections,” said Dr. Shipley. “The advanced TMS technology can measure the beat of each section. Because the brain’s circuits are electrical, a magnetic field can get each section of the brain beating in the same rhythm. Then the symptoms that people experience as fatigue or anxiety or depression can resolve without the need for drugs. Children with ADHD especially like it because they can avoid the personality changes that drugs can cause.” Up until recent times, cancer typically affected people aged 50 years and older. That’s no longer the case. Since the 1990s, the incidence of certain cancers has been rising among those under 50 years old. The study included 14 different cancers, including breast, colorectal, and prostate. Since cancer can be set in motion 20 or 30 years before it’s diagnosed, researchers looked for answers as to what changes could have caused this dramatic and worrisome change.
Scientists noted that increases in early-onset cancer correlate with certain societal changes, including more westernized diets, lifestyles, and environments. These changes, which started around the 1950s, explain the rising incidence of early-onset cancer that started in the 1990s. Their effects would have taken about that much time to accumulate. In addition to westernized diets that are high in saturated fats, red meat, processed meat, sugar, and ultra-processed foods yet low in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fiber, several other societal factors were identified: • Lower breastfeeding rates • Increased alcohol consumption • Reduced sleep among children due to bright lights during the night • Night shift work • Reproductive changes including reduced age of puberty, increased contraceptive use • Less physical activity and a more sedentary lifestyle • Increased rates of type 2 diabetes • Higher antibiotic use Nutrition is foundational: The researchers wrote that 8 of the 14 cancers studied relate to the digestive system, demonstrating the importance of our microbiome in cancer risk. We know that our gut plays a vital role for our body, including our immune system. Upgrading what we feed our body is at the heart of cancer prevention. The article also identifies several other ways to help protect yourself and your family from the scourge of cancer. Please click here to view the article. When struggling with health problems, one place to start is with laboratory tests to determine the amount of toxins that your liver, lungs, and kidneys are dealing with. If you have a sinus condition you can’t shake, a rash that won’t go away, on-going digestive problems, fatigue – just to name a few – it could be a sign of toxin overload. Our world has become severely toxic from a long list of plastics, chemicals, pesticides and more.
Many conventional doctors don’t see things this way and may not offer tests for heavy metals and other toxins, but many naturopathic physicians do. Be sure to avoid over-the-counter detox regimens. Some of them could actually be dangerous for people with certain medical conditions. It’s important to work with a doctor who uses certified labs and does thorough testing before determining if the need for detox exists and the exact tests that the individual requires. Another essential is a well functioning immune system, which actually is an interconnected biological network. It includes white blood cells, organs, tissues of the lymph system, such as the thymus, spleen, and tonsils, and the bone marrow. Our health and well-being depends on keeping the immune system in balance – neither underperforming or overreacting. Establishing a solid foundation of health is an on-going, lifetime process that can be motivating and enjoyable. The doctor reveals a simple daily practice based on easy-to-accomplish, step-by-step health goals Our staff is constantly scouring medical and health information sites to find vital knowledge that can make a real difference for our patients’ health. Please feel free to share the Doctor’s Updates with others. This Update features two articles, one about California banning four food additives and another, colorful one from the Daily Mail (England) that details 10 hazardous food additives that are banned in Europe but allowed in the U.S., including chemicals linked to low sperm count. The European Union banned many of these chemicals beginning in 1994. While the U.S. is still far behind European nations and many other countries, Dr. Taketa-Wong started sounding the alarm about food additives 12 years ago, when she started her practice. Last month, California jumped ahead of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and became the first state to outlaw the use of four potentially harmful food and drink additives that have been linked to an array of diseases, including cancer, and are already banned in dozens of countries. The FDA banned the use of red dye 3 in cosmetics in 1990 after evidence showed it caused cancer in lab animals, but – and this is baffling – hasn't prohibited its use in food. Brominated vegetable oil and potassium bromate have been associated with harmful effects on the respiratory and nervous systems, while propylparaben may negatively impact reproductive health. Click to read the article. Healthy digestion is the foundation of well being. When it’s working as it should, our body extracts the necessary nutrients from our food to give us energy and vitality and keep us well, and then removes the rest as waste. When there is constipation, heartburn, loose stools, bloating, or abdominal pain, the body is signaling that something is wrong. Unfortunately, this is all too common in America today. But because something is common doesn’t mean that it’s normal. It’s normal for our bodies to work properly.
For example, heartburn is especially common in the U.S., but it’s not normal at all to have heartburn. Also common are prescriptions for acid blockers. But—incredibly—the majority of people are NOT producing too much stomach acid. Rather, they have an underlying condition typically caused by certain foods that are not digesting well. Incomplete or inadequate digestion, in turn, can cause a reflux reaction. Suppressing the acid does not solve that problem. In the long run, using acid blockers can sometimes make the situation worse by limiting the body’s ability to produce enough stomach acid to digest the food. In addition, some acid blocking medications have been associated with an increased risk of dementia and other serious medical conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), heart disease, kidney disease, and certain types of cancer. Constipation is also widespread. It can be caused by many different things. A poor diet with insufficient fiber and water are common culprits, but it can also be due to medications or certain medical conditions like low thyroid hormone levels. When it comes to loose stools, in addition to a poor diet, they can be caused by food allergies, food sensitivities, or even things like parasites. Also, both constipation and diarrhea can be caused by Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). Recent research has shown a link between chronic constipation and cognitive decline, the precursor to dementia. When people are frequently gassy, it’s often a sign that something they’re eating isn’t digesting well. That could be due to food allergies or sensitivities or not having enough digestive enzymes. No laughing matter. Using innovative testing techniques, researchers from China, France, Italy, several U.S. major universities, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences have revealed the effects of microplastics on our gut health. And they’re sobering. For example, plastics increased fat digestion by 33% and fat absorption by an astonishing 145%. Microplastics are smaller than five millimeters, about the size of a sesame seed. Researchers have found these persistent polymers virtually everywhere they’ve looked: rice, sugar, seafood, vegetables, drinking water, rain, air. Polyester clothes and rugs shed minute plastic fibers. Opening a bottle of soda can release a spray containing thousands of plastic particles. They are in all of us already. The gut microbiome is its own ecosystem, comprised of trillions of bacteria and microbes. This internal system is what helps us digest food and fight infections. It plays a major role in our well being, from weight loss and immune function to heart and brain health. Microplastics appear to shift the gut microbiome into an unhealthy state. The risks come not just from the plastic itself, but also from the synthetic chemicals and heavy metals that plastics can contain. Microplastics can make us fatter by altering the immune system, changing organ function, and disrupting hormones. The researchers explained that both plastics and intestinal membranes are hydrophobic, meaning they repel water. So plastics and gut walls stick together when paired up, trapping fat molecules in between them, and increasing both the time and surface area for the fat to be absorbed. A 2021 study found a correlation between the severity of a patient’s inflammatory bowel disease and the number of microplastics in their feces. Another study (2023) utilized 3D intestinal cell cultures called organoids, and found that plastic exposure prompted cells to secrete inflammatory molecules. The doctor wants everyone to enjoy good health, so please spread the word about what we can do starting today: Gradually replace plastic food containers with glass or stainless steel. Steer clear of food packaged in plastic as much as you can. When that’s not doable, transfer food items to a glass or stainless steel container as soon as possible. Use a non-plastic, refillable drinking bottle instead of drinking water that’s been sitting in plastic. Purchase clothes, sheets, blankets, etc., made from cotton instead of from polyester or other synthetics. We can’t escape all plastic, of course. But what we can avoid, we should. This is especially true when it comes to children. A child’s smaller body means the effects of microplastics are intensified. Please click to read the full article. GREAT INFO! WANT TO KNOW THE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WITH THE LEAST PESTICIDE RESIDUE? PLEASE READ ON.8/28/2023 Conventional agriculture continues to dump huge amounts of toxic chemicals on the food we eat. These pesticides, fungicides and herbicides accumulate in our cells and over time can damage our organs, resulting in cancers, birth defects, reproductive harm, immune system disorders, neurological and developmental toxicity, and disruption of the endocrine system. They are especially dangerous to infants and children, whose smaller size and lower body weight mean they absorb a higher percentage of the poisons than adults. Each year since 2004, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released its annual Shopper’s Guide. It includes the “Dirty Dozen” that lists the 12 fruits and vegetables that have the highest amount of pesticide residue. Accompanying it is the “Clean Fifteen,” which reveals the items with the least amount. In addition, they have added an additional grouping of fruits and vegetables that fall somewhere in between the two. The EWG rankings are based on test results by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of more than 46,000 samples of produce. The testing is done after the samples have been prepared to be eaten. This means that the samples are thoroughly washed and, when appropriate, peeled. The pesticide residues reported remain after the fruits and vegetables are prepared for consumption. While an all-organic diet is optimal, it’s not always possible, given the cost or availability. The EWG’s guide gives us the knowledge to provide our families with conventional produce that is least harmful. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the Shopper’s Guide to pediatricians. Please click to view the full list of fruits and vegetables. An estimated 45 million Americans go on a diet each year and spend $33 billion on weight loss products. However many people unknowingly make common mistakes that can sabotage their attempts at weight loss.
These mistakes include eye openers like: over exercising, not checking underlying medical conditions (like hormone levels), not eating enough calories, negative self-talk, and expecting results too soon. Dr. Taketa-Wong reviews these common mistakes plus several more and explains what’s worked to solve them. As a naturopathic physician, Dr. Taketa-Wong attended medical school, just like medical doctors. The difference is the concentration on nutrition and how it affects every area of our well being. Conventional medical schools offer about 25 hours of nutrition courses, if they have them at all. Dr. Taketa-Wong's medical training included 155 hours of nutrition courses. The value to patients cannot be overstated. By understanding how the body works, losing weight becomes a process that actually empowers people with their health. The five medical trends identified by the magazine were Artificial Intelligence, in-store clinics, telehealth, alternative medicine, and retaining doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals. You’ll find the doctor’s write-up under Trend 4. Dr. Taketa-Wong is Hawaii’s beloved autism doctor. Starting 12 years ago with just herself, her practice has grown so much that she’s had to hire an associate, Dr. Lauren Anderson. Besides successfully treating the medical causes of autism and other special needs – focusing particularly on food and nutrition – the doctor treats many adult conditions, including autoimmune diseases, PMS and menstrual problems, and digestive issues. The article provides an overview of where medicine is heading in Hawaii, with physicians like Dr. Taketa-Wong among the leaders. View the article here. |
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