Dr. Mercola Examines the Renaissance of Texting

Friday, October 24, 2008

The fourth quarter of 2007 marks the first time ever that American cell phone subscribers sent text messages more than they phoned! The volume of text messages has increased by 64 % since then, while the average number of calls has dropped slightly.

Phone companies have enticed users to text more by offering unlimited text messaging bundles. And teenagers are biting the offer the most, evolving into the most prolific texters. The most prolific being teenagers ages 13 to 17 sending or receiving 1,742 messages a month, with 18 to 24 year olds averaging a mere 790 messages.

Text messaging has become such an ingrained means of communication that Harris Interactive reported that 42 % of teenagers declare that they can text even with their eyes closed. Dr. Mercola observes that teenagers’ preference for texting has more to do with convenience than safety. And those without 24/7 access to the internet, text more than those who do.

According to Dr. Mercola texting may lessen the health risks associated with cell phone use by keeping your cell phone away from your head. However you may just be moving the health risks from your head to your waist if you keep your cell phone close to that area.

Texting however allows you get straight to the point by bypassing common pleasantries that govern human relations and allows the use of an abbreviated language that doesn’t bother with spelling, punctuation and grammar.

And this is where the debate starts.

There is rising concern among linguists that the short cuts used in text messaging and email will result in sloppy writing habits among young people, and consequently impact their ability to spell and write. Email has already had a big influence on our writing and consequently increased our tolerance for misspelled words and less than perfect punctuation.

As texting continues to grow in popularity, the impact on society could be detrimental. For instance, a report by Ireland’s Education Department that reviewed high school students’ English test results showed that "Text messaging, with its use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation, seems to pose a threat to traditional conventions in writing"

A report in American Speech however concluded that texting embodies "an expansive new linguistic renaissance,” and exhibits “the same dynamic, ongoing processes of linguistic change that are currently under way in contemporary varieties of English.”

Dr. Mercola concludes however that “This will undoubtedly remain a hot research topic in the years to come, but I suspect that an over-reliance on texting will have disastrous consequences for future generations”

Dr. Mercola Weighs the Pros and Cons of Texting

We live in a fast-changing world. And in this fast world, Americans are the frontrunners. Fast food and high tech gadgets are not just part of daily life; they have become a way of life. And when we talk about gadgets, one of the must haves is the cellular phone.

Cellular or mobile phones have changed the way people communicate. The advent of text messaging further emphasizes that shift. The popularity of texting has soared because it is cheap, fast and convenient. In the last quarter of 2007, American cell phone subscribers sent more text messages than used their phones for calls for the first time in history. Since then, the average subscriber’s volume of text messages has increased by 64 percent, while the average number of calls has decreased.

Texting has caught the fancy of teenagers, with those aged 13 to 17 sending or receiving 1,742 messages per month while 18-to-24-year-olds average 790 messages. A study conducted by Harris Interactive found that 42 percent of teenagers claim they can write text messages even while blindfolded.

Dr. Joseph Mercola has been educating people on the dangers of cell phones for nearly a decade now. For Dr. Mercola, the one major health benefit that you can get from texting is that it keeps your cell phone away from your head and may lower some of the health risks associated with cell phone use.

However, holding your phone near your waist instead of near your head will just move the risks to a different area of your body.

Text messaging has already been proven to cause harm on the road. According to a Nationwide Insurance study, almost 20 percent of drivers send and receive text messages while driving, including 66 percent of teenagers between ages 18 to 24. Because texting-related traffic accidents are on the rise, the states of Washington, California and New Jersey have already banned texting while driving and 16 others are expected to follow suit.

Is Texting “Dumbing Down” America?

Aside from the practical dangers, too much texting may destroy the next generation's ability to communicate effectively due to poor spelling and “text-speak.” Because texting is so convenient, communication may become more impersonal, leading to fewer face-to-face meetings and less time spent actually talking.

Linguists warn that text messages will cause sloppy writing habits among young people because of all the shortcuts they use, which may affect their ability to spell and write.

Ireland’s Education Department reviewed high school students’ English test results and reported that “text messaging, with its use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation, seems to pose a threat to traditional conventions in writing."

But also, a report in American Speech concluded that texting will not ruin the English language because it represents "an expansive new linguistic renaissance,” and reflects “the same dynamic, ongoing processes of linguistic change that are currently under way in contemporary varieties of English.”

Dr. Mercola believes that texting and the dangers of cell phone use will undoubtedly remain hot research topics in the years to come. Stay up to date with what’s happening in the world of medicine. Subscribing to the Mercola.com Natural Health Newsletter for free now!

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Get the Lowdown on the Toxic Plastic Issue with Dr. Mercola

Friday, October 17, 2008

Two of the most successful industries in the world are the pharmaceutical industry and the chemical industry. The global market for pharmaceuticals was worth more than $693 billion in 2007. But despite all of its massive earnings from global drug and vaccine sales, “Big Pharma” was easily dwarfed by the global chemical industry, which earns almost $3 trillion a year.

Aside from having big money, these two industry giants have something else in common – they both produce health hazards!

The global chemical industry produces about 6 billion pounds of bisphenol A (BPA), a vital component of a wide variety of plastic products, generating at least $6 billion in annual sales.

Studies done by the Environmental Working Group found that BPA is present in more than half of the canned foods and beverages sampled from supermarkets across the U.S. BPA is also present in hard, clear plastics for baby bottles and food storage containers.

Scientists Frederick Vom Saal and Wade Welshons were the first to report the first hard evidence of BPA’s adverse effects on health. The two discovered that miniscule amounts of BPA caused irreversible changes in the prostates of fetal mice.

How BPA harms your health

BPA can contaminate food when the chemical bonds that it forms in plastic are unraveled when heated, washed, or exposed to acidic foods. The chemical imitates the sex hormone estradiol and because your body is extremely sensitive to sex hormones, small amounts of BPA can induce profound changes.

Other researchers followed Vom Saal and Welsons’ lead and conducted their own investigation. Of the 115 published studies on the low-dose effects of BPA, 94 of them reported harmful effects on mice and rats, linking the chemical to serious human disorders, including:

• Prostate cancer
• Breast cancer
• Diabetes
• Early puberty
• Obesity,
• Abnormal sexual behavior and disrupted reproductive cycles
• Structural damage to the brain, and
• Learning and behavioral problems

Chemical Cover-up

Chemical companies funded 11 studies to investigate the BPA controversy, ALL of which cleared the chemical from any harmful side effects. An advisory panel from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) upheld the agency’s decision that BPA is safe and can remain in food packaging, including infant formula containers and baby bottles.

Once again, the FDA had the chance to truly safeguard your health and instead, chose to side with the big chemical companies, allowing BPA to roam free.

The Scientists & Engineers For America Action Fund blasted the FDA verdict, saying that the agency based the decision on two large multigenerational studies funded by the American Plastics Council and the Society of the Plastics Industry, and “reaffirmed the trade associations’ ability to control what is considered to be reliable, credible science.”

How to Make Your Home BPA-free

The good news is, despite the FDA verdict, some companies have yielded to consumer demand and pressure and are now offering products that don‘t contain BPA.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, founder and editor of Mercola.com, the world’s leading natural health website, has long criticized the chemical industry for allowing dangerous substances to find their way in your home, and the FDA for protecting the interests of business, rather than your health.

Dr. Mercola recommends the use of glass, instead of plastic to store your water and avoid BPA. For Dr. Mercola, glass is the safest and most inert way to store your water and is far better than any plastic.

Amazon.com now has a BPA-free section, including water bottles, baby bottles, and sippy cups. Rubbermaid is now offering BPA-free food storage containers and water bottles, and Brita is also selling BPA-free pitchers and water filtration products

The Children‘s Health Environmental Coalition offers tips on how to spot plastic household products with and without BPA. Consumer Reports describes its BPA test results and also provides advice on choosing safe plastics. The Z Recommends blog posted an updated guide in February that lists children‘s feeding products that don‘t contain BPA. Other BPA-free products have even appeared on eBay.

None of these websites or groups are affiliated with Mercola.com. Dr. Mercola just makes it a point that any piece of information vital to your good health would be made available to you!

You don’t have to wait for the FDA to get it right and issue a warning. You can stay informed and become aware of the things to avoid and the things to do in order to stay healthy through Dr. Mercola.

Visit Mercola.com now and learn more about how to safeguard your health!

Dr. Mercola : Moving From Plain and Simple Vanity to a Vision of Total Health as We Age

Dr. Mercola knows that the onset of age is scary. But there’s no denying that there’s nothing we can really do to stop aging. Well, we can try turning back the hands of time. But all that will get you is a clock that you can’t depend on for the exact time. Kidding aside, as we get older our physical appearance and state of health changes as well.

Consumers are flocking to doctors’ offices in hopes of erasing the little signs of age:

• The receding hairline

• The expanding waistline

• The skin that has lost its radiant glow

• The sagging skin… the list goes on

Many baby boomers are noticing these tell-tale signs of aging in front of their mirrors, on their weighing scales, and in the job market. While many people concerned with aging do so for reasons of vanity at first, how these patients look is a reflection of how their body’s systems, organs, tissues and cells are functioning.

We’ve yet to hear of someone who welcomes aging. But whether we like it or not “grey days” will come. But we can choose to age gracefully and flaunt a more youthful look.

Dr. Mercola Introduces Effective Anti-Aging Tips That Bring Back Youth Glow and Exuberance

The Anti Aging Tele Clinic helps us to discover effective ways to slow down the aging process. Who likes graying hair, a receding hairline, a sagging face, protruding belly and most of all a flawed memory?

Dr. Mercola understands that we all want youthful looks and an energetic constitution all the time. Aging cannot be avoided but it can be slowed down by following a healthy lifestyle.

There are ancient therapies and modern treatments that dramatically reduce the effects of aging. But before learning anti aging tips for healthy skin and body; and a strong memory, we need to understand and accept the fact that:

• Aging is a natural process

• It is a continuous process

• It increases with time

• It cannot be stopped but can be slowed down

These are fundamental truths – yes, but there are ways to make aging a pleasant process. And that’s by being on top of your health as you age.

Dr. Mercola Tells Us Not to Condemn Fat Just Yet

Friday, October 10, 2008

The concept of the perfect body has changed over the centuries. When only the wealthy could afford food with “sugar” and “fat”, the ideal body was shown in paintings by Reuben. They were nudes of substantial noble women, lolling in idleness, their meaty flesh – a delight to the eyes. Now, we have eschewed “fat” and are in fact enamored of the toned, muscular physique that signals health and outdoorsy activity. But is “fat” as “evil” is we think it is?

“Fat” has held a negative view in dieters’ eyes since the idea of “low fat” first saw light. But studies show that a “low carb diet” is the way to go. And when talking of total health – some people may actually reap the rewards of a low-fat diet.

This is topic may look complicated but it becomes easier to understand when viewed from a Metabolic Typing angle. According to Dr. Mercola at the core of nutritional typing “is the principle that we each have unique systems that are designed to thrive on unique combinations of protein, fat and carbohydrates”

Some people may benefit from a high protein diet. Others find that a vegetarian type diet with less protein and complex carbohydrates from vegetables is ideal.

Pushing nutritional types aside, there are additional factors that can help most people manage their weight. According to Dr. Mercola these factors are “eliminating grains and sugar from your diet and making sure you exercise” Grains and sugar will awaken an insulin response that will cause your body to gain weight. Exercise on the other hand will not only help you stabilize your insulin levels, but will also help you reach your weight loss goals and fight infections.

The No-Grain Diet by Dr. Mercola helps you reach your weight loss goals by optimizing your diet. This book also includes a section on the emotional aspects of dieting that often negates our weight loss efforts; and how a psychological acupressure technique called EFT helps you overcome them.

Another road you can take for losing weight is Living Fuel. Living Fuel Rx is a meal replacement, nutritiously full of concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals, proteins, essential fats, enzymes, co-enzymes, herbs, botanical extracts, and soluble and insoluble plant fibers. Whole foods are of course still the best - but if you simply don’t have time to pack your own healthy lunch and are surrounded by fast food and vending machines, take Living Fuel Rx instead.

Dr. Mercola Says “Be In and Thin with BioTHIN!”

Is it hard for you to drop those unwanted pounds? Feel like you should be losing weight because you’ve been working out – but the weighing scale won’t budge? Are your clothes beginning to feel tighter even if you feel you’re watching what you eat?

You surely don’t want the unpleasant shock of finding that you’d have to buy a whole new wardrobe. Or be dismayed that you can’t pour yourself into your little black dress!

It may be time to examine what you should be doing right. But Dr. Mercola advices that before you do that, you have to take stock of a few facts.

When a product is termed low-calorie or low-fat it may not be necessarily good for you. Or even directly address weight management issues. Plus it may not be ultimately healthy for you, because in addition to being highly processed and sorely lacking in vital nutrients – it may also contain ingredients that may not be healthy for you!

You can’t have your cake and eat it too when it comes to diet soda. If you think it’s a healthier alternative to regular soda – it’s not. Both types of soda are simply not going to do you any good. Simply going without soda is better for a healthier and fitter “you”.

Artificially sweetened beverages contain many synthetic therefore harmful ingredients. Latest research shows that they can actually cause weight GAIN – and you surely don’t want that. There’s detailed info on the hazards of artificial sweeteners in Dr. Mercola’s book Sweet Deception, as well as in various articles of his website.

Going to commercial weight loss centers demands a large chunk of your time. What’s more their food products cost a lot – and offer little flexibility in terms of meeting the needs of your Nutritional Type. If there are any positive effects gained from visiting these “fat farms”, these may be lost when you return to the real world.

If you’re at the end of your rope and want to wear that flattering get-up to the next high school reunion, BioTHIN is a product that will help you lose weight and keep you healthy too.

Dr. Mercola says:

BioTHIN™is an all-new and all-natural supplement that I formulated to help better address your weight loss concerns. And I can assure you that this help harmonizes with the way you were designed to lose weight -- and with overall healthy living.

BioTHIN™ is formulated to give you the edge you seek, to make a long-term difference in your weight loss and overall health.

What's more, it will put you back in the driver's seat of your health.

Teach Your Kids Healthy Habits with Dr. Joseph Mercola

You are what you eat. And what you eat, your children are bound to eat too.

A survey conducted two years ago by the America On The Move Foundation showed that 71 percent of children get information about how to be healthy from their mothers and 43 percent from their fathers.

Even without this survey and other related studies, it’s a no-brainer that good health for children starts with the parents. For osteopathic physician and natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola, getting yourself healthy and adopting healthy attitudes about food are two of the best things you can do for your children.

As a parent, you will need to explain proper nutrition to your children and why they need to eat the right kinds of food. Take the time to cook and prepare nutritious meals and snacks and more importantly, be a good role model for them. After all, it is completely unfair to ask them not to eat things they later see you eating.

Here are some simple tips from Dr. Mercola to help your children get started on a healthy lifestyle:

• Exercise as a family – Make exercise part of your daily schedule. Take walks, play tag in the backyard, enroll in some martial arts class and simply set aside time each day as a family to sweat it out and get your bodies moving!

• Stop being a couch potato – Turn off the TV, computer and video games. Not only is watching too much TV associated with obesity, but limiting these things will also give you more time to do physical activities with your family instead.

• Prepare healthy meals and set family mealtimes – Staying fit is next to impossible if your diet is mostly fast food or processed foods. Let your kids help in meal preparation as this makes them more likely to eat the healthy foods you’re serving. Studies show that families who eat together have better overall nutrition. Kids with family mealtimes are less likely to smoke, drink, do drugs, get depressed, develop eating disorders and consider suicide. They are also more likely to do well in school and delay having sex.

• Don’t limit healthy fats – There is no such thing as a fat-free diet, for you or for your child. Your child needs healthy fats from animal sources, coconut oil, raw nuts and seeds, olive oil, avocado and others for his/her development. Introduce some healthy fats into your child’s diet by adding butter, raw cheese, or olive oil to lightly steamed veggies.
• Don’t use food as a reward – Don’t get your child thinking that eating unhealthy foods is necessary for their emotional fulfillment.
  

• Don’t force your child to finish everything on his/her plate – No matter how healthy and well-balanced the food, there’s no need to make your child eat every last bite. Most kids will naturally stop eating when they’re full. If your child starts overeating early, there’s a good chance he/she will overeat later in life too. Just serve them small portions or save what they don’t finish for later.

• Stay away from junkfood – “Kid’s foods” like pizza, French fries and macaroni and cheese are bad from a health perspective – don’t give in to their cravings. You are not “depriving” your child by not giving them soda and fries; you are doing them a huge favor.

• Nutritional Typing – Nutritional typing is an essential tool for you to find out which types of foods are best for your unique biochemistry, and it also works for kids of all ages too.

Raising healthy children in a country with a fast food culture and where junk food is available in every corner is easier said than done. But it is possible. You just have to make a firm decision, stick by it and take control of your own health!

Mercola.com, the world’s most popular natural health website, provides free health information for people of all ages. Visit Mercola.com now and find out what’s in store for you!

Dr. Mercola Poses the Question: Are You Thinking Yourself into Gaining Weight?

Friday, October 3, 2008

Does mental activity, especially those that require analysis and creative thinking cause you to gain weight? Dr. Mercola says that “thinking” may have something to do with weight gain!

A taxing day of mental work can be as physically exhausting as actual physical work! So you can say that “thinking hard” can also increase appetite. Research has shown that mental work actually “destabilizes” your insulin and glucose levels, and that’s what may be causing the increase in appetite and subsequently - eating.

For now, it’s safe to say that there are many factors we can look at, that leads to increased appetite, and many are connected to your mind.

Dr. Mercola Explains What Your Mind Has to Do With It

One of the states of mind that leads to more eating is stress (remember, mental challenges also induce stress). Everyone can relate to this truth, and to a certain extent this response is hard-wired into you.

Researchers found that when rats are chronically stressed, they release glucocorticoid steroid hormone (cortisol in humans) which leads them to engage in pleasure-seeking behaviors - which includes eating high-energy foods. When they eat these foods, they develop abdominal obesity - but the negative aspects of chronic stress were not as sharp!

It is normal to want to relieve stress but not at the expense of physical health! Abdominal obesity or “belly fat”, may naturally result from increased food intake, which has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, diabetes, strokes and more. Nipping stress in the bud at its core is a much better solution than calming your nerves with a big, greasy slice of pizza!

In addition, stress is not the only culprit that leads you to eat more. A 2004 study by British researchers found that about half of adults turn to food in times of boredom and loneliness!

Does This Mean Mental Work Leads to Weight Gain?

Dr. Mercola answers “no.” But being aware that your appetite may be awakened after a long, arduous meeting or hours at the computer is something to bear in mind. If you feel hungry, then you should eat something. Just see to it that it is something that will actually provide your body with nutrition! Determining your nutritional type, and eating accordingly, is the only way to feel satisfied, give your body the nutrients it needs -- without having to worry about gaining weight.

Dr. Mercola Says Snacking Can Be Healthy!

Everyone likes to munch on something. It’s hard to control our appetite for snacking. And we try to look for healthy alternatives so we can indulge! That’s why supposedly healthy snacks like sugar-free pastries and candy have a growing market made up of people who want to enjoy guilt-free snacking!

But Dr. Mercola warns that you must not be hoodwinked into believing that these options are “healthy”. These snacks are usually processed foods and artificial sweeteners which are just as harmful if not worse than the real deal! Instead of opting for snacks or food that mammoth food corporations spend billions of marketing dollars on, just to convince you that these are the healthier alternatives, seek all-natural snacks that offer you a broad range of nutrients!

Of course everyone hopes for a great tasting snack that satisfies cravings but doesn’t compromise health!

There’s a One Trail Mix that’s Better for Your Snacking and Nutritional Needs

Dr. Mercola has worked with some producers to develop a Trail Mix that uses only premium quality, organic dried fruits, nuts, seeds and authentic cocoa. Way Healthier Trail Mix doesn’t only have widespread appeal in terms of flavor (young and old alike would love the infusion of flavor in a handful of this healthy mix); it has a double dose of nutrients you can enjoy at any time of the day without feeling guilt ridden!

Still don’t believe your lucky stars - a snack that’s a nutritious handful of everything yummy?! You’ll want to rush and get yourself some when you learn what else Way Healthier Trail Mix has for you!

• Only Certified Organic nuts and seeds

• A trail mix providing antioxidants and smarter oils!

• A high energy snack with no added sugar or harmful preservatives

• No partially hydrogenated oils or fats!

Dr. Mercola states that you have every right to enjoy “healthy” snacking that’s genuinely good for you! Grab a Way Healthier Trail Mix now!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Blows The Whistle On Monsanto

Would you trust a company responsible for producing some of the most dangerous chemicals in the world to have a hand in securing global food supply?

Monsanto is the world’s largest conventional seed company and is also the leading producer of genetically-modified seeds. But before “reinventing” itself as an agricultural company, Monsanto produced chemicals, including highly toxic PCBs (banned in the 1970s) and the infamous Agent Orange, a defoliant (chemical sprayed or dusted on a plant to cause its leaves to fall off) used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to deny cover for the enemy.

According to the Vietnamese foreign ministry, around 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, with some 500,000 children born with birth defects.

Studies show that genetically-modified food genes can contaminate humans, contribute to food allergies and create viruses. Genetically-modifed food has also been linked to a terrifying new disease called Morgellons disease or syndrome. Morgellons disease is characterized by symptoms including crawling, biting, and stinging sensations beneath the affected person’s skin, with persistent skin lesions (including rashes or sores) that heal slowly and ooze small blue, black or white fibers.

Aside from the genetic modification of food, Monsanto is also responsible for introducing other health hazards, including:

• Aspartame – the controversial artificial sweetener allegedly increasing the risks of brain tumors, brain lesions and lymphoma

• rGBH – an artificial growth hormone for cattle suspected of increasing the levels of cancer-causing chemicals and other dangerous material in milk

• RoundUp – the popular herbicide used for weeding farms and lawns linked to numerous environmental and health problems like increased risks of cancer, miscarriages, attention deficit disorder, reduced production of sex hormones and genetic and immune system damage in fish

This is not a vendetta against Monsanto. Neither is it a plot for a new horror novel. You are reading this important piece of information because it is absolutely crucial to maintain your good health.

Find out more about Monsanto and become aware of other threats to your health when you log on to Mercola.com, the world’s # 1 natural health website. Founded by osteopathic physician and natural health guru Dr. Joseph Mercola, Mercola.com is the trusted health resource of more than 1.3 million subscribers, including 100,000 health professionals.

Be informed and stay healthy! Visit Mercola.com now!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Warns Against Increasing “Pharmacracy”

Do you immediately reach towards your medicine cabinet every time your temperature rises or you feel a slight pain or an ache in your body?

If you do, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to know that the global pharmaceutical industry was estimated to be worth more than $693 billion in 2007 and is projected to top $1.0 trillion by 2013.

But it’s not just the overdependence on over-the-counter (OTC) drugs that’s feeding “Big Pharma.” Back in 1929, the average American only got less than two prescriptions per year. By 2006, the average annual prescription rate per capita in the United States soared to:

• Over 4 prescriptions per child (age 0-18)

• Almost 11 prescriptions for adults (age 19-64), and

• Almost 28 prescriptions per senior (65 and over)

Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician and natural health practitioner, has voiced his concern on this alarming trend, as the pharmaceutical industry continues to turn American society into a “pharmacracy,” where drugs are the first resort for treating even the most minor ailments.

According to Dr. Mercola, a vicious circle is clearly evident because the statistics of prescriptions per capita has increased dramatically in the past 75 years. Treating disease symptoms with drugs will create other health problems, which lead to yet another prescription to counteract the side effects from the first one, followed by another one, and yet another one.

If all these prescription and OTC drugs did treat and cure diseases, the healthiest country in the planet would be the U.S. But instead, more Americans are suffering from completely preventable diseases like diabetes and prescription drugs are the fourth leading cause of death, killing almost 106,000 per year.

But all is not lost. You can stop this looming pharmacracy by taking control of your own health!

For Dr. Mercola, drugs should be your last option, not your first choice. The decision to take drugs and medication is yours alone. Many fail to realize that it is possible to stay healthy by simply making the necessary lifestyle changes, understanding the fundamentals of good nutrition and exercise and avoiding unnecessary drugs.

If you cannot avoid taking drugs, do some research before you take them. Your doctor will not have all the answers and all the latest research findings about the drug. Make sure you are aware of the potential side effects by reading the package insert. Even if it states that a side effect is rare, it can still happen to you. The potential benefits should always outweigh the potential risks.

Dr. Mercola is the founder and editor of the world’s top natural health website, Mercola.com, where he offers simple but sound and hype-free advice to help you achieve optimal health. To find out more about Dr. Mercola and his practice, visit Mercola.com now!

Dr Joseph Mercola Recommends Yummy Blueberries! They Satisfy Your Palate while Slowing Down the Signs of Aging

Friday, September 26, 2008

When asked what fruit would be the most nutritious overall, Dr. Mercola’s answer would be - berries. They are some of the most nutritious fruits on earth! Why? Because they haven't been hybridized into giant fruits full of sugar, they are small and densely packed with potent phytochemcials that can do wonders to support your health. And one of the best berries on the planet, chock full of antioxidants, is the blueberry. As he says in his book, Dr. Mercola's Total Health Program:

"Blueberries are quite low in sugar compared to other fruits yet pack some of the most powerful antioxidant properties of all fruits and vegetables. In addition to preventing heart disease, cancer and other diseases, they've been shown to slow the aging process, especially in the brain."

Blueberries also maintaining your nutritional health by:

• Decreasing your risk of cancer

• Preventing heart disease and stroke by reducing the buildup of so called "bad" cholesterol

• Guarding against Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases

• Combating aging and reversing short term memory loss

• Relieving arthritis inflammation

• Fighting infection and bolstering the immune system

• Promoting urinary tract health

• Optimizing vision health and reversing the causes of macular degeneration and blindness

• Improving motor skills

Certainly, as with all fruits and vegetables, Dr. Mercola strongly recommends you try to buy organic. If you want that burst of flavor and nutrition of quality wild organic blueberries in your area, he highly recommends you try the Vital Choice Wild Organic Blueberries offered here!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Blasts the Myth of Multitasking

Multitasking has been used for decades to describe the parallel processing abilities of computers. At the height of human arrogance, we have now coined it to describe the hurry, bustle and agitation that now rule over most people’s lifestyles. We wear our “multitasking badges” proudly, fancying ourselves the ultimate survivors of the 21st century!

But Dr. Mercola Reveals That Multitasking Isn’t What It’s Cut Out to Be!

• Studies have shown the danger of using cell phones and other electronic devices while driving.

• In the business world, time management is a perennial problem as workplace distractions (an offshoot of a multitasking mindset) are on the rise.

• The electronic din is now invading every nook and cranny of our everyday lives – we may turn out to be more informed. But are we gaining wisdom when we focus on our goals and tasks with crumbs of attention?

Dr. Mercola Explains the Value of “Attention”

When discussing “multitasking”, we are actually talking about attention:

• The capacity to pay attention

• The ability to shift attention

• To decide which things are worthy of our attention

People with great achievements often say they owe their success to a sharply honed skill for paying attention. When Isaac Newton was asked about his “genius” he answered that if he had made any discoveries, it was “owing more to patient attention than to any other talent.”

Dr. Mercola Agrees with William James (the Great Psychologist)

To James, steady attention was ultimately an attribute of a mature mind, a usual state disturbed only by stress. To people a century later, that calm portrayal may seem unusual—as though illustrating a bygone era. Today’s multitasking adult may find something more similar in James’s description of the youthful mind: an “extreme mobility of the attention” that “makes the child seem to belong less to himself than to every object which happens to catch his notice.”

Are we growing in wisdom then?

Spice Up Your Life with Dr. Joseph Mercola

Time sure flies because the holidays are fast approaching. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner, with the scent of holiday spices soon filling your home. But unknown to many, these spices do more than just add fragrance and flavor to your food – they also infuse your favorite holiday dishes with numerous health benefits.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, one of America’s leading natural health practitioners and nutrition experts, shares the unique health benefits that you can experience from these popular holiday spices:

Cinnamon – Used for centuries as a spice and as medicine, just half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day significantly helps reduce blood sugar levels of people with type 2 diabetes while also lowering triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels in this group. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg because cinnamon also:

• Enhances digestion

• Constricts and tones tissues

• Relieves congestion

• Soothes pain muscles and joints

• Relieves menstrual discomfort

• Helps stimulate circulation

• Helps relieve arthritis

• Helps prevent urinary tract infections, tooth decay and gum disease, and

• Is a powerful anti-microbial agent that can kill E. coli and other bacteria, naturally keeping foods fresher longer

Cloves – Native to Indonesia, cloves are used in Chinese and western herbal medicine in dental emergencies, as it is known to relieve tooth and gum pain but beyond that, cloves:

• Have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties

• Provide relief from asthma and bronchitis

• Relieve muscle pains from injuries, arthritis or rheumatism, and

• Kill intestinal parasites and fungi

Ginger – Commonly used all over the world, ginger contains up to three percent of an essential oil, giving it its fragrance. Aside from warming the body and adding that familiar “kick” to your food, ginger:

• Promotes cardiovascular health

• Soothes upset stomach, nausea and motion sickness

• Relieves morning sickness

• Eliminates intestinal gas

• Has antioxidant properties

• Relieves dizziness

• Boosts the immune system

• Protects against bacteria and fungi, and

• Encourages bile flow

Nutmeg – A regular in pies, pudding, cookies and soufflés, nutmeg also helps lower cholesterol and:

• Is useful for those with insomnia as it can induce drowsiness

• Calms muscle spasms

• Lowers blood pressure

• Increases circulation, and

• Relieves toothache

Peppermint – Since ancient times, fresh peppermint leaves have been known for their therapeutic properties. One of the most versatile herbs, peppermint is used to flavor tea, ice cream, gum, toothpaste and is even added to shampoos and soap. It also:

• Soothes the digestive tract

• Relieves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome

• May protect against cancer

• Inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungus, and

• Relieves the symptoms of allergies and asthma

These spices will surely make your holidays healthier. But however beneficial these spices may be, Dr. Mercola warns that they should not be taken daily because you will expose yourself to the risk of allergies. For Dr. Mercola, there are no shortcuts to optimal health because only in addressing the underlying causes of illness with a healthy diet and lifestyle will you become truly healthy.

Dr. Mercola is the author of Take Control Of Your Health, where he offers more advice and tips on how to get healthy and happy. For more information on Dr. Mercola’s practice, visit Mercola.com now!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Believes that Exercise Fights Depression!

Depression can come upon a person without notice. It may be clinical, manic or situational depression, but a person can be affected physically and emotionally to the point of not functioning in the world all the same. There are many techniques and methods to help you pull away from depression - and exercise is one of them.

According to Dr. Mercola depression and exercise are polar opposites. One brings you down while the other makes you come alive. Research has shown that exercise is an effective weapon against depression.

Exercise helps you in your fight against depression by:

• Increasing your self-esteem

• Taking your mind off your concerns

• Helping you release pent-up frustrations

• Tiring you so you can sleep better
  

Dr. Mercola observes that depression can make exercising seem impossible. Someone who is depressed simply wants to stay in bed and sleep. But you need to begin to exercise to push depression out of your life! Don’t set an unrealistic goal - running several laps around the park is a good start. Also remember to do what you enjoy with your loved ones to make the road to recovery less bumpy.

If you find that exercise is still intimidating (one of the biggest hindrances for people who haven’t exercised in a long time is getting started): Walking is a wonderful way to get started. It is very low impact so it is easy on the joints.

For deep depression Dr. Mercola would not recommend using EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) on your own, but rather as reinforcement while working with a trained EFT practitioner. Taking a look at Dr. Carrington's guidelines on selecting an EFT therapist would get your major questions answered. In addition, truly improving your diet is obviously an important step in treating depression, and another important consideration would be to make certain you are getting adequate supply of omega-3 fats.

Is Earwax Your Friend? Ask Dr. Joseph Mercola

Are you tired of stubborn earwax clogging your ears? You are not alone because around 12 million Americans visit the doctor every year because of excessive earwax. But before you go get some Q-tips, you might be surprised to know that earwax is better left alone.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician and natural health expert, provides information and practical tips relevant to your health, from something as mundane as cleaning earwax to more serious concerns like proper diet and nutrition.

An Unlikely Friend

Earwax, or cerumen, as it is known in the medicine world, is formed in the outer one-third of the ear canal and is produced by the body to block dust and other small particles and prevent them from reaching the eardrum. Earwax naturally emerges out of the ear, expelling the trapped dirt along with it. However, wax buildup caused by overzealously cleaning the ears with cotton swabs, or using earplugs and headphones for long periods of time, pushes the earwax back, causing:

• Pain and pressure

• Itchiness

• Foul odor

• Ear discharge and,

• Hearing problems

The American Academy of Otaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) has issued the national guidelines to help clinicians handle earwax problems. While the AAO-HNSF advises that earwax should be left alone because it is essentially a good thing, you should remove excess earwax if you experience these symptoms:

• Earache

• Partial or progressive hearing loss

• Ringing or noise in your ears

• Itching, odors or discharge

• Coughing

• A feeling or sensation that your ear is plugged

Wax Management

It’s easy to deal with earwax at home. You can use either water, oil or ear drops to soften the earwax and help it emerge. Ear irrigation is also an option. You can safely use coconut oil, hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide and olive oil for this purpose. However, ear irrigation is not an alternative if you have diabetes, a weak immune system, or a perforated eardrum.

If you are suffering from severe earwax impaction, irrigation using a syringe or manual removal can be done by a health professional.

As always, prevention is still the key to avoiding earwax problems. The new AAO-HNSF guidelines warn against using cotton swabs or other probing objects, oral jet irrigators and ear candles, as these may do you more harm than good.

Dr. Mercola advises the regular intake of Omega-3 supplements, such as krill oil, to prevent the excess buildup of earwax. After clearing out impacted earwax, getting sufficient amounts of Omega-3 in your diet usually prevents a recurrence.

Get hype-free solutions to your everyday health concerns and more when you visit the world’s leading natural health website, Mercola.com!

Experience the Benefits of Massage with Dr. Joseph Mercola

Friday, September 19, 2008

Every once in a while, you need to take a break from your busy schedule and spend some time to relax because your body can only take so much activity.

For Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician with over two decades of experience, massage is one of the best and simplest relaxation methods. For Mercola, massage can provide relief from stress and muscle pain to everyone, from babies to senior citizens, and professional athletes to executives.

Massage is one of the most effective therapies because it stimulates the body's natural ability to rejuvenate itself. Because the skin, the body's largest sensory organ with thousands of specialized receptors, reacts to external stimuli such as heat, cold and pressure by sending messages through the nervous system to the brain, gentle massage affects our nerves by stimulating the release of endorphins - natural 'feel good' chemicals in the body which help induce relaxation and a sense of well-being.

Stronger massage, on the other hand, stimulates blood circulation to boost the supply of oxygen and nutrients to body tissues and helps the lymphatic system flush away waste products. It also helps relax tense and knotted muscles and stiff joints to improve mobility and flexibility.

Massage Made Easy

There are different types of massages but you don't really need to go to an expensive spa for special treatments because Dr. Mercola has discovered two effective and cheap tools to help you experience the benefits of massage:

GlidePoint 610 - Recommended by chiropractors and massage therapists, the GlidePoint 610 is designed with a roller ball that smoothly glides across the skin without any gels or oils, allowing you to deliver both a gentle and a strong tissue massage. The unique rolling ball action helps temporarily relieve aches and pains, making it ideal for stress relief and relaxation. You can glide the roller ball over bare skin or clothes on tension areas like the neck, back, shoulders, legs and feet. Its ergonomic design minimizes hand fatigue and is small enough for you to take it anywhere.

The Tingler - This spider-shaped device is the ultimate head massager and is specially made to tingle away your headaches. Its ten flexible copper tines act like ten specialized fingers to gently stimulate the nerve endings in your scalp, 'tingling' you from head to toe, leaving you relaxed, stimulated and happy at the same time. Bend it and form a rake or semi-circle tickle to scratch the rest of your body. The Tingler has appeared on Ellen, CNN, MTV, Will and Grace, and Miss Congeniality 2 and graced the pages of Glamour, InStyle, Elle, Redbook, and Ladies Home Journal. If it doesn't 'tingle' your senses, nothing will!

But don't get the wrong impression, Dr. Mercola doesn't recommend products because they're popular - it's because they really work! Mercola has worked hard to keep his site, Mercola.com, free from third-party influence, including pharmaceutical and advertising companies. He personally researches and tests any product before recommending them to the public because his motivation is to provide you with what you need to stay healthy.

Find out more about Dr. Mercola, his practice and approach to healing, and the products that will help you live healthy and happy by logging to Mercola.com now!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Tackles the Eye Bag Conundrum!

There are many reasons why anyone can wake up with noticeable eye bags in the morning! But one thing is clear eye bags are certainly not flattering! And we could do without this physical reflection of an unhealthy lifestyle - and aging!

What Causes Your Eye Bags to Sag?

Dr. Mercola says we have proposed countless theories on why baggy lower eyelids come with aging. It has been pointed out that fat expansion in the eye socket is the number one culprit! A study examined the MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of forty subjects and it became clear that the increase of lower eyelid tissue was due to fat increase!

Eyelid Surgery

According to Dr. Mercola almost 11.7 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2007 according to American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. And blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery that lifts sagging tissues under your eye into more youthful proportions) was one of the more popular procedures!

You Can Prevent Enormous Eye Bags!

Dr. Mercola observes that our culture has become obsessed with youthful looks, but instead of putting in the work so our physical appearance reflects the true state of our health, we prefer to undergo procedures that tweak our physical appearance. But the secret to a truly youthful beauty is:

• Eat a healthy diet
• Get enough sleep
• Get just enough exercise
• Avoid smoking
  

Not observing these simple health truths will lead to accumulation of free radicals (cell damaging substances in your body). Accumulation of free radicals is largely seen in your face, in the form of wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity and glow!

High sugar diets increase free radicals and oxidative stress, and causes signs of premature aging, and a recent study published in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation on May 16, 2008, states that people with metabolic syndrome suffer greater levels of oxidative stress than those who are not pre-diabetic.

Dr. Mercola stresses that what you should know is - there’s more to great skin and a youthful face than your genetic traits!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Says No To Food Irradiation

Can you imagine eating a "nuclear lunch" composed of irradiated vegetables and meat?

This may be what the future holds, thanks to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as it recently approved the irradiation of fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce to keep them free from E-coli and salmonella.

Food irradiation is the process of treating food with ionizing radiation, using either gamma rays, x-rays or high-speed electrons to kill microorganisms, bacteria, viruses or insects that might be present. The FDA assures that irradiated foods and non-irradiated foods have no difference yet the FDA website states that "irradiation can produce changes in food, similar to changes caused by cooking, but in smaller amounts."

The FDA approved irradiation of meat products based on only seven out of 441 animal studies and gave the go-signal to irradiate fruits and vegetables only on a theoretical calculation of the danger of the new chemicals that were created, not on any studies.

Food safety advocates strongly condemned the agency's decision, claiming that irradiation strips the food of nutrients, destroys natural flavor and introduces unsafe chemicals.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, a well-known natural health guru and the founder and editor of Mercola.com, the world's top natural health website, echoes this sentiment. He believes that food safety starts in the farm, where fruits and vegetables are grown and animals are raised. For Mercola, the solution to providing healthier and safer foods involves going back to the basics, not resorting to unproven and questionable high-technology practices like irradiation.

Mercola warns that our food is under attack from all sides. Pollution, pesticides, genetic modification and now, irradiation, all put food safety in question. That is why he provides the latest news and developments related to your health at Mercola.com. Because you need this information in order to stay healthy.

But Mercola.com gives you more than news and updates, it's your total health resource! Log on to Mercola.com now to start your journey towards good health!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Reveals the Dangers of Energy Drinks

Friday, September 12, 2008

Energy drinks are supposed to help you regain lost energy but what you may not know is that they can also give you a stroke.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, founder and editor of the world’s most popular natural health website, Mercola.com, tells you why energy drinks have no place in your diet.

Red Bull, the popular Austrian brand, sold almost 3.5 billion cans in 143 countries last year and accounts for almost half of the U.S. market for energy drinks. However, it is banned in Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Uruguay because of health risks.

Researchers from the Royal Adelaide Hospital Cardiovascular Research Center in Australia recently reported that just one can of Red Bull may increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke, even in young people. The study also states that Red Bull could be deadly when combined with stress or high blood pressure because it may impair proper blood vessel function.

Red Bull Australia said that the company will study the report but added that the reported effects were no different from those induced by drinking a single cup of coffee.

Before the Australian study, Sweden’s National Food Administration also investigated Red Bull after the deaths of three consumers in 2001.

Composition wise, energy drinks do not differ much from carbonated beverages because both contain little nutritional value. Red Bull and other similar products may contain B vitamins and taurine but this is negated by the high amounts of caffeine and sugar.

Children should not be allowed to consume any type of energy drink and it is also advisable to avoid them if you are pregnant or lactating, sensitive to caffeine, suffering from anxiety, stress or chronic fatigue syndrome, high blood pressure, predisposed to cardiovascular disease or have any type of blood clotting problems.

So, if energy drinks are no longer an option, how do you replenish lost energy?

Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician and natural health expert, advises that the first thing for you to do is figure out why you lack energy because one is in a lethargic state usually because of a stressful lifestyle, poor nutrition, negative emotions and lack of exercise and sleep.

You can increase your energy, then, by simply addressing these factors. This is commonly done by minimizing stress, maintaining a healthy diet and getting enough physical activity and sleep.

Dr. Mercola has been providing health-related articles and practical tips on how to achieve optimal health on his website, Mercola.com, since 1997. He is the author of Take Control of Your Health, a comprehensive guide designed to help you live a healthy and happy lifestyle.

Kick the energy drink habit and find out how to feel energetic and healthy at all times. Visit Mercola.com now for more information!

Be a Healthy Chef with Dr. Joseph Mercola

America is the nation that gave the world the “fast food culture.” Fast food provides convenience for people who are always on-the-go because it’s cheap, quick and heavily-advertised but Americans don’t seem to mind the fact that they are sacrificing their health for the little time they save.

It’s not so much different at home. Our kitchens are stacked with appliances and products designed to make everything easier, faster and instantaneous. It’s quite alarming that a lot of people are still ignorant of or just ignore the health risks they expose themselves to just to save a couple of minutes in meal preparation.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, founder and editor of the world’s most popular natural health website, Mercola.com, has been helping Americans reduce health risks at home by finding and recommending the best products that promote a healthier lifestyle, including food, dietary supplements and home appliances. For Mercola, preparing your food healthy is equally important as eating healthy.

Dr. Mercola highly recommends these quality products to help you prepare healthier meals:

Enameled Cast Iron Cookware – If you’re still using Teflon, you probably don’t know that a scientific panel to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has advised that PFOA, the chemical which gives Teflon its non-stick finish and slipperiness, be labeled as a “likely carcinogen.” The EPA has also charged DuPont, the inventor of Teflon, with hiding health data about PFOA for 20 years. Aluminum and stainless steel are also not good choices, as the former has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease while the latter is suspected of increasing the likelihood of leaching metals like nickel and carbon to your food. The best alternative is this custom-designed, five-piece enameled cast iron set which is free of harmful elements. It’s perfect for all types of cooking, cooks food evenly, is easy to clean, saves energy and is so durable it will last for years.

Mercola Healthy Chef Turbo Oven – If you want to cook healthy meals, your microwave oven is not what you want to use. It may be fast and convenient but using microwaves is not natural nor healthy because they vibrate the molecules of your food to levels they were never meant to experience, causing damage to the highly perishable nutrients the food contains. Numerous studies have already exposed the dangers of microwaves but people still don’t want to part with their ovens. Make the healthy change. The Mercola Healthy Chef Turbo Oven allows you to broil, bake, roast, grill and steam your food to perfection faster than a conventional oven. It won’t win any races against your microwave but it will surely make your meals healthier!

Omega Juicers – Not getting enough fruits and vegetables in your diet? Try juicing, the easiest way to get all the nutrients that you need. Cheap blenders are too loud while other juicers are too expensive but they don’t juice non-leafy vegetables. Most high-speed juicers also destroy the natural flavor and nutritional value of fruits and vegetables. The Omega Juicer easily and rapidly produces large amounts of juices but it uses a milling-type screw which helps retain the flavors and nutrients. But it’s more than a juicer because you can use it to mince and chop meat, fish and herbs and spices.

These quality kitchen aids will help you become a healthy chef in a jiffy. But good health is more than just preparing your food the right way. Find out how to make the healthy lifestyle change by logging on to Mercola.com now!