Latest Natural Health Articles

Dr. Mercola Examines the Renaissance of Texting

2008-10-24T00:15:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

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!

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

2008-10-17T04:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-17T04:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-10T04:12:00.000-07:00

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!”

2008-10-10T04:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-10-03T03:48:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-03T03:45:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-03T03:41:00.000-07:00

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”

2008-10-03T03:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-26T04:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-26T03:55:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-26T03:48:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-26T03:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-26T03:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-19T03:22:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-19T03:13:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-19T03:13:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-12T04:43:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-12T04:27:00.000-07:00

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!

Dr. Mercola Waves the Red Flag on Cholesterol Drugs

2008-09-12T04:15:00.000-07:00

Your Cholesterol Medication May Be Making You Sicker!

Statin drugs are being prescribed in higher and more potent doses to increasing numbers of people (even those with normal cholesterol levels) for "hypercholesterolemia” - which some doctors call a non-illness. What most physicians often overlook is that patients on statins deplete their Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplies, which often leads to fatigue, muscle weakness, soreness and eventually heart failure!

A petition has been issued to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to label statin packages with a warning regarding statin-induced CoQ10 depletion along with a review of animal and human studies supporting the issue. Experts are not sure that the warning will be heeded however.

Dr. Mercola Uncovers the Truth about Statins

Statins have become the drug of choice for millions of people. If the recommendations issued by experts two years ago are to be believed, nearly 40 million Americans should be on statins by now.

What you don’t realize is that, statins kill people! And cause complications in many more.

Patients taking statins become depleted in Coenzyme Q10.

The elderly and patients with heart failure begin to show symptoms of CoQ10 depletion in as short as six to twelve months!

Younger patients can tolerate the drug longer, but they eventually develop CoQ10 depletion symptoms after several years.

When you get to the heart of matters, treating the symptoms of high cholesterol with a drug doesn’t treat the cause. Not only doesn’t it treat the cause, artificial drugs may even cause serious side effects!

Dr. Mercola advises - Don’t risk your health when you can normalize cholesterol levels by observing some simple steps:

Normalize your insulin levels by eliminating sugar and grains. Eliminating sugar and grains will ultimately have beneficial side effects, such as normalizing your weight, increasing your energy and lowering your blood pressure and triglycerides. You can find out more about this in the new book, Total Health Program.

Take a high-quality fish oil that is rich with beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Find a fish oil that is independently tested by a lab to conform to purity guidelines. One such brand, of superior quality, is Carlson's fish and cod liver oil, which is in the "Recommended Products" section.

Regular exercise may further reduce your risk of heart disease!

You can also think of a potent enzyme called nattokinase, from the food natto. It has been used for circulatory problems for decades, and it is found in CardioEssentials, a supplement often recommended to those who have been diagnosed with heart disease.

Dr. Joseph Mercola Tackles the Weight Issue

2008-09-12T04:08:00.000-07:00

Studies Reveal That Being Overweight Doesn’t Mean You’re Unhealthy!

If you’re overweight, does it mean you’re unhealthy? According to some medical research - apparently not! A report in the Archives of Internal Medicine goes on to compare weight and cardiovascular risk factors in a sample of 5,400 adults.

They found that half of the overweight people were metabolically healthy (which means having healthy levels of “good” cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose).

A third of the obese people in the study also turned out to be metabolically healthy!

On the other hand, one out of four slim people in the study showed at least two cardiovascular risk factors associated with obesity!

Obesity is actually tied up with a host of health problems. And researchers found the percentage of metabolically healthy overweight and obese people quite surprising.

According to several studies, how a person performs on a treadmill is a more accurate indication of health than body mass index. There are research indications that show that people who are fat, but are able to do well on treadmill tests, have lesser heart risks than people who are slim yet unfit.

Dr. Mercola Adds That Growing Acceptance of Heavier Body Types May Be Good But…

Dr. Mercola emphasizes that there isn’t any uniform ideal weight. What may be the right weight for you may not be the right weight for another. But carrying excess weight will ultimately put you at risk for every chronic degenerative disease, so the concept that you may be overweight or obese and still healthy may make you less vigilant about your health.

Having said that, Dr. Mercola goes on to clarify that “obesity itself is not the underlying cause of any health problem, it is merely a symptom” The root causes are an unhealthy diet and a lack of exercise which will ultimately result in increased insulin and leptin levels. And along with emotional challenges all of us inevitably experience, you may find yourself at an unhealthy weight, and health challenges can eventually arise from there.

Factors That Contribute to Obesity

Two-thirds of the American Population is already overweight. This is due to factors that are an offshoot of modern life:

Unhealthy diet

Lack of exercise

Increased emotional challenges

If this trend continues, it is highly probable that every American adult will be overweight by 2048!

Although surveys have shown that American perceptions have changed and there is a greater acceptance of heavier body types, which is a positive development, Dr. Mercola believes it is too soon to accept it as a “new healthy norm” If we embrace this concept fully, we might add to a nationwide health crisis as excess weight can be attributed to so many chronic and debilitating diseases that might have been easily avoided.

Dr. Joseph Mercola Shows You How to Manage your Leftovers

2008-09-05T03:30:00.000-07:00

Are you among those who let food go to waste because you don’t know what to do with leftovers?

Before you think about putting that steak or pasta in a garbage bag, consider this:

According to a joint report done by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Foundation, the International Water Management Institute and the Stockholm International Water Institute, HALF of the food produced worldwide is wasted.

Americans, for instance, throw away almost 30 percent of food, approximately $48 billion, when it’s been estimated that at least half of the food disposed in homes and restaurants around the U.S. isn’t bad and could still be eaten.

So how do you manage your leftovers and minimize spoilage?

Dr. Joseph Mercola , the founder of Mercola.com, the world’s most popular natural health website, has been giving sound advice on health concerns and practical tips to help you live a healthy and well-balanced life.

For Dr. Mercola, the best way of keeping your food safe isn’t buying a fancy refrigerator – it’s checking the source.

Try buying your food needs from small, local farms so you can personally check their conditions because food that is grown on a smaller scale usually contains lower levels of bacteria.

That’s the easy part. It gets a bit trickier when it’s time to determine if the food is spoiled or not.

Dr. Mercola suggests following ABC News’ “rule of four,” which means keeping food no more than four days at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature will keep raw chicken, ground beef and cuts of beef and lamb safe for three days and four days for leftovers. But while temperature and age are probably the biggest factors, there are other things to consider.

Don’t throw away bread, cheese or fruits and vegetables just because of a spot of mold or an imperfection. Just cut the spot out because you can still eat the rest of it. Even if the food starts smelling a little pungent doesn’t necessarily mean that it has gone bad.

Extending the shelf life and quality of your food is just one simple and practical way of improving your lifestyle and staying healthy. Get more useful information pertinent to your health and wellbeing when you log-on to Mercola.com.

How Healthy Are You? Ask Dr. Joseph Mercola!

2008-09-05T03:26:00.000-07:00

There are no shortcuts to good health. There is also no single health program designed that will work for everyone because we all have a unique biochemistry, genetics and physical appearance.

But for Dr. Joseph Mercola, achieving optimal health doesn’t need to be complicated. You just need to understand your body in order for you to take control of your own health.

Get started by assessing your health by looking at these four vital factors:

1. Insulin
2. Weight
3. Blood pressure
4. Cholesterol

The "Four Factor"

1. Insulin is crucial in metabolism and causes the cells in the body to take up glucose and stop the use of fat as an energy source. Most adults have only one teaspoon of sugar in their blood, and if your sugar level were to rise to one tablespoon, you would lapse into a hyperglycemic coma and die. Your body produces insulin to prevent this from happening but too much of it in your system can lead to degenerative illness as you get older.

2. Weight management, on the other hand, is perhaps the most visible among the four factors because you can tell by just looking at a person if he/she is at his/her ideal weight, overweight or underweight. Aside from physical health issues, extra body weight and obesity can also have major negative psychological effects that can hinder you from achieving optimal health.

3. Your ideal blood pressure should be 120/80 without any medication. High insulin levels, stress, tension or anxiety contribute to elevated blood pressure. If you are following a certain diet or program to normalize your blood pressure and do not see an improvement after several weeks, you need to seek help from a health professional.

4. Blood cholesterol is the trickiest part because most Americans are confused about their cholesterol levels due to the fact that too much emphasis is given to the importance of total cholesterol. For Dr. Mercola, the ratio of good cholesterol to total cholesterol is far more important when it comes to predicting cardiovascular risk.

Assessing and Taking Control of Your Health

A simple way to find out if you’re struggling with your weight is by measuring your waist circumference with a tape measure. Sizes above 40 for men and above 37 for women usually indicate obesity. Body Mass Index (BMI) is also a good tool to find out what your ideal weight should be. The National Institutes of Health has a simple online BMI calculator that you can use to know your ideal weight.

It is also easy and inexpensive to test for your insulin, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. So do yourself a favor and look at the state of your health as soon as possible.

After assessing the state of your health, the next logical step will be to adopt a plan that will help you address problems and improve your overall wellbeing.
Dr. Mercola has designed a special Nutrition Plan coming from decades of extensive research, collaboration with other health professionals and most importantly, successful treatment of thousands of patients. Mercola’s passion is to help you start the journey to optimal health, one step at a time.

Take control of your health with Dr. Mercola’s Optimized Nutrition Plan! Log on to Mercola.com now!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Explains When a Little Poison Can be Good for You

2008-09-05T03:22:00.000-07:00

Too much of a good thing can be bad for you, like sugar and exercise. But can you believe that a little of something bad can be good for you?

We all know that excessive exposure to radiation and toxins from smoking and mercury are dangerous to your health. But did you know that a little exposure to toxic substances or stressors may actually give you health benefits?

Hormesis is the process which theorizes that organisms exposed to low levels of toxins and other stress agents develop a resistance towards tougher challenges. Thus, a toxin showing hormesis has the opposite effect when administered in small doses than in large ones.

An example of this theory is an experiment wherein mice were exposed to small doses of gamma rays before irradiating them with very high levels of gamma rays, which decreased the occurrence of cancer. A similar effect was achieved when rats were given dioxin.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, who has been practicing osteopathic medicine for over 20 years, defines hormesis as the biological phenomena where an otherwise adverse or detrimental influence is beneficial when applied at low levels, enough to set something into motion.

Scientists have been trying to find a connection between hormesis and aging. It has been thought that cells may have an adaptive or hermetic response that are anti-aging when they are exposed to mild stress like heat shock, irradiation, pro-oxidants, hypergravity, food restriction and even exercise.

Dr. Mercola also cited another study which showed that mice whose food intake was reduced by 40 percent but whose diet included fish oil lived 300 percent longer than mice that ate as much as they wanted and fed with omega-6 oils.

The significant implication of the experiment showed that calorie restriction has a bigger influence on longevity than adding fish oils. But while he concedes that calorie restriction does work, he does not advocate it because human populations that consume low-calorie diets restricted in proteins and micronutrients tend to have short stature, late reproductive maturation, impaired fertility and impaired immune functions.

What Dr. Mercola recommends is eating according to your nutritional type, which involves shifting the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates you consume because he believes that optimal health may depend on the percentage of each food you consume, and not with the type of the food you are eating.

You can find out more about hormesis, nutritional typing and other health topics at Mercola.com. Mercola.com delivers the latest health news and hosts thousands of articles related to your health and wellbeing. Visit Mercola.com now or send Dr. Mercola your questions at Ask Dr. Mercola.

Dr. Joseph Mercola Recommends Premium Supplements to Enhance Your Health

2008-09-05T03:15:00.000-07:00

Dietary supplements are made to supply you with the essential nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, which you don't get enough of or are missing from your diet.

According to a survey done this year, nearly six out of 10 adult Americans take dietary supplements on a regular basis, with majority saying that they are satisfied with the products they are using.

However, despite the widespread use of dietary supplements, the survey showed that many of those taking them are misinformed about what they can actually do for your health, how long it will take for the benefits to take effect and which ones are more important.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician and natural medicine practitioner, has been helping consumers by independently researching and testing health products to find out which ones are the best in their respective categories. He provides unbiased recommendations because he is not affiliated with any advertisers or pharmaceutical companies; he simply wants to find the best products that will help you gain optimal health. He personally uses the products he recommends, including:

B-12 Energy Booster – Do you still drink coffee or energy drinks whenever you lack energy? Now there's an easy, convenient and effective way of recharging your energy and it doesn't involve any pills, tablets or capsules – it comes in the form of a spray! B-12 Energy Booster uses a patented NanoMist® delivery system that further reduces vitamin B-12 molecules to microscopic nanodroplets, making it easier and faster for your body to absorb the essential nutrients. No multivitamin containing vitamin B-12 can compare to this product. But giving you extra energy is just the tip of the iceberg. This innovative B-12 spray, which comes in a great-tasting spearmint flavor, also helps in cell formation (including red blood cells), longevity and enhances digestion, food absorption and carbohydrate and fat metabolism.

Chlorella – Green has always been the color that represents health. Chlorella, a natural green algae, is one of the purest natural green foods on earth. This premium chlorella is harvested from Ishigaki Island in Japan and is processed by an exclusive technology which breaks open the plant's cell wall to make its rich nutrient content available to you. It helps cleanse toxins from your body, boosts your immune system, helps digest your food, provides beta carotene and even helps freshen your breath! You won't find a better chlorella supplement than this.

Whole Food Multivitamin Plus – It's a jungle out there with all those different multivitamin brands. So what makes Whole Food Multivitamin Plus any different? The name speaks for itself. All the vitamins and minerals it contains are extracted from RAW foods and is 100% FREE from allergens and additives. Plus, it contains higher amounts of B vitamins, magnesium, calcium and an exclusive formula of antioxidants including beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, L-cysteine, lutein, lycopene, red wine proanocyanidins and selected extracts and powders from over 25 fruits, vegetables and herbs.

These are just some of the premium products that will help you live healthy and happy. Find out more by visiting Mercola.com, the world's most popular natural health website!

Shop for Affordable Health Food with Dr. Joseph Mercola

2008-08-29T00:26:00.000-07:00

With the economy in decline, prices are rising and unemployment is growing, forcing Americans to cut down on spending. Last year, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food rose by 4.0 percent, its highest annual increase since 1990. Due to higher commodity and energy cost, the CPI for food is predicted to hike another 4.5 to 5.5 percent in 2008, resulting in even higher retail prices.

Your food bill has skyrocketed but it doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice nutrition just to be able to stretch your budget.

You just have to shop smart.

Dr. Joseph Mercola is one of the country’s leading health experts. He has been providing advice on a number of health topics, including diet and nutrition, on his website, Mercola.com. Dr. Mercola advocates that the proper diet will help you achieve optimal health. He is constantly on the lookout for products that will give you the most bang for your buck.

It’s a no-brainer that organic food is good for you but what usually prevents people from buying organic food is the price. After all, a penny saved is a penny earned. But a penny invested in your health will certainly go a long way. Dr. Mercola shares with you the ten healthiest foods he has found that cost less than a dollar:

1. Two cage free organic eggs = $0.59
2. Eight ounces of raw organic milk = $0.62
3. One ounce mixed raw sunflower seeds = $0.82
4. A cup of fresh organic blueberries= $0.95
5. One-pound slice of watermelon = $0.98
6. Seven ounces coconut milk = $0.98
7. Five ounces of fresh organic spinach = $0.95
8. Two cloves of garlic = $0.05
9. One serving of wild rice =$0.99
10. Two capsules of Krill Oil = $0.84

Dr. Mercola believes that it’s worth spending a few more dollars to ensure that you are eating what’s good for you. But Dr. Joseph Mercola offers you more than just diet tips. His site, Mercola.com, is the world’s most popular natural health website and contains thousands of articles on topics that are pertinent to your health and wellbeing in general.

So what are you waiting for? Let Dr. Joseph Mercola be your guide to wellness! More than a million subscribers to his free Natural Health Newsletter can’t be wrong. Log on to Mercola.com now!

Learn How to Cope with Stress with Dr. Joseph Mercola

2008-08-29T00:23:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joseph Mercola, the founder of the world’s most popular natural health website, Mercola.com, is an osteopathic physician (DO). The training of DOs is virtually identical with that of MDs. They use all the conventional healing methods but put additional emphasis on preventive health care, helping patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that not only fight illnesses but help prevent them too.

As a DO, Dr. Mercola employs a “whole person” approach to medicine, looking to treat the whole person and not just address the symptoms. He has over 20 years of clinical experience and is a lifelong student of the healing arts.

Dr. Mercola is also a natural health practitioner and is always on the lookout for new and effective healing methods and ways of improving health. He regularly conducts interviews with the leading experts in various fields in the health and wellness industry and also hosts the latest health articles at Mercola.com.

One of these experts is Dr. Ben Lerner, a chiropractor, nutritionist and strength and conditioning trainer for the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic wrestling teams. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Body by God: The Owner’s Manual for Maximized Living. For Lerner, stress management is an important factor in maintaining good health because a stressful life will rarely lead to a healthy body, and even a healthy person experiencing stress will just be a healthy miserable person.

Stress is a person’s reaction to another person, condition or event. A negative reaction will determine how much emotional turmoil and damage the body will sustain. There is a direct link between stress and the impairment of various bodily systems, resulting in actual and measurable negative effects on blood pressure, brain chemistry, cholesterol, blood sugar levels, joint function and hormonal balance.

Stress Management is just one of many different ways to help you achieve optimal health. Learn more about these methods and the experts behind them when you log on to Mercola.com. You can also schedule an appointment with Dr. Mercola at the Natural Health Center.

Dr. Joseph Mercola Shares the Benefits of Nutritional Typing

2008-08-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

Diet, in layman’s terms, is the food and drink regularly consumed by an individual. Many consider health, culture, morality, religion, environmental impact, and other factors in picking the food they eat.

Over the years, a number of dietary trends have surfaced, each promoting certain advantages and health benefits. There are people who have gone vegetarian or vegan. Some have stuck with a low-carbohydrate diet while others limit their fat intake instead.
But for Dr. Joseph Mercola, there is no one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to diet. Mercola is an osteopathic physician and natural health expert. He is also the author of Take Control of Your Health, a comprehensive guide towards achieving optimal health.

Mercola believes that in order to determine the diet that is most for you, you must first learn about your nutritional type. In Mercola’s Nutritional Typing program, a person belongs to either one of three general nutrition types: protein, veggie and mixed.
According to Mercola, the human body needs to consume a certain blend of the right food types in the same way that a car was designed to run on certain types of fuel. Protein types thrive on a low-carbohydrate, high-protein and high-fat diets while veggie types need the majority of their food to be vegetables. On the other hand, a person with a mixed type needs dietary requirements between the veggie and protein types.

So how do you determine your nutritional type?

For starters, you can eat the usual servings of proteins, fats and carbohydrates that you normally consume. You then analyze your reactions to the meal and find out how well you divided the amounts of the three food groups. You generally have to feel better an hour after the meal. If not, change the ratios between the three food groups the next time you eat that meal and again analyze your reactions.

If you are still having food cravings after eating the meal or if you still lack energy, these are indicators that you are most likely not satisfying the requirements of your nutritional type.
One you have determined the appropriate food ratios, you can begin experiencing the benefits of nutritional typing, including increased energy and better weight management.

You can learn more about Nutritional Typing by getting a copy of Take Control of Your Health or by logging on to Mercola.com.

Dr. Joseph Mercola Explains why Organic Food is good for you

2008-08-29T00:16:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joseph Mercola has been giving dietary advice to his patients and subscribers of his website, Mercola.com, for over a decade. For Mercola, the more natural the food, the healthier it is for you.

Nowadays however, there’s a thin line to what’s natural and what isn’t, what’s organic and what’s not. As part of his practice, Dr. Mercola regularly conducts product reviews and research to determine which foods are the best for your health. Among the products he recommends include:

Free-Range Organic Chicken – This chicken is definitely healthier than KFC and most of the chicken you find in restaurants and groceries. These free-range chickens are raised in Amish Country, Pennsylvania, and have been certified 100% organic from “egg to plate” in New York and Pennsylvania, and contains no antibiotics, hormones, artificial ingredients, and herbicides or pesticides used in the soil or the feed, giving you the juiciest and tastiest meat you’ll ever find. This chicken is an excellent source of healthy protein and amino acids to help you gain more energy, avoid diseases, increase strength and prevent premature aging. The chicken can be ordered whole, in quantities of two or three packages, or in choice cuts of boneless/skinless breast and thigh packages. Orders are shipped only on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays when they are delivered from the farms to ensure maximum freshness and quality.

Grass-Fed Cheese – Why is grass-fed cheese better than grain-fed cheese? The answer is simple. Grass-fed cheese contains a perfect balance of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fats – essential fatty acids which the body needs but cannot manufacture on its own. Omega-6 is a “bad fat,” as studies show that it may increase the risk of a number of diseases, while Omega-3 is known as a “good fat” because it helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. This grass-fed cheese from Swissland is made from certified 100% organic milk, rich in calcium, protein, beta carotene and Vitamins A, D and E. It also contains five times more conjugated linoleic acid, a potent cancer-fighting nutrient, than grain-fed cheese. This nutritious and healthy cheese is available in 11 varieties: baby swiss, brick, cheddar, Colby, feta, garlic & herb, mozzarella, Pepper Jack and Veggie Jack, all available for direct cold-storage shipping.

Organic Blueberries – You love eating them in your pies, jellies, muffins, cereals and other snacks but did you know that blueberries are among the healthiest fruits? Blueberries are low in sugar and rich in antioxidants, with the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry ranking them second to Mexican red beans in terms of antioxidant capacity. Anthocyanin is the phytonutrient responsible for its deep blue color and high antioxidant storage. More antioxidants means more health benefits for your immune system, helping lower the risk of cancer and other diseases. These wild organic blueberries are delivered to you frozen from eastern Canada and are smaller but sweeter than most of the common variety you find in local stores.

These are just some of the premium products which combine health, quality and satisfaction. Discover more amazing finds at http://products.mercola.com.

Dr. Joseph Mercola explains why Grass-fed Beef is better

2008-08-26T03:31:00.000-07:00

For Dr. Joseph Mercola, a healthy diet is an essential component of good health. High on his list of recommendations are natural and unprocessed foods, including meat.

The average American eats almost twice his or her weight in meat each year, as it has always been part of the typical American diet. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the U.S. consumed an estimated 28.1 billion lbs of beef in 2007, second only to Argentina.

Beef is a rich source of proteins, Vitamin B and minerals like zinc, iron and magnesium. But did you know that beef, when grass-fed beef, is also a major source of Omega-3?

Omega-3 and Omega-6 are essential fatty acids which the body needs but cannot produce on its own. Studies have shown that Omega 3 may help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, while excessive levels of Omega 6, on the other hand, may increase the risk of a number of diseases. Experiments on fat determined that if the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 exceeds 4:1, people may develop more health problems.

Cattle are typically grain-fed, usually with corn, soya and other types of feeds to shorten the fattening time and increase the yield from dairy cattle. Traditionally-raised cattle are also given antiobiotics, vaccines and other drugs not only for them to gain more weight, but also to keep them disease-free.

Grass-fed beef is leaner and lacks marbling (streaking of fat), lowering the levels of fats and calories it contains. Studies have shown that grass-fed cattle have an Omega-6-Omega-3 ratio of 3:1, while grain-fed cattle can have ratios that may exceed 20:1.

Making the switch from grain-fed to grass-fed beef is not a radical change; it is simply returning to the diet of our ancestors. Beef, in its natural grass-fed state, is a quality health food.

Dr. Mercola has been providing expert advice on diet, exercise, therapy and other health-related topics for free at Mercola.com, the world’s top natural health website. Learn more about grass-fed beef and other healthier food options. Log on to Mercola.com now!

Get Tons of Health Articles and More from Dr. Joseph Mercola

2008-08-26T03:18:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Exxon Mobil earns almost $1500 per second?

The Texas-based Petroleum giant has again posted the biggest quarterly profit in U.S. history, with a net income of $11.68 billion on a revenue of $138 billion in the second quarter of 2008.

Mercola.com is the world’s leading free natural health website, providing Natural Health News to more than a million subscribers. But Mercola.com doesn’t just deliver health news; it offers other bits and pieces of information that you can use, ranging from trivial to thought-provoking, scholarly to entertaining. After all, a healthy mind will help you lead a healthy life.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician and natural medicine expert, is the moving force behind Mercola.com. A product of the prestigious University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, he founded Mercola.com in 1997 as a means of sharing information with patients and fellow health professionals and to explore the potential benefits of the internet for the medical industry.

Mercola.com is now one of the most popular sources of practical health information and solutions in America. But popularity is not what keeps Dr. Mercola going. He is driven by the passion to transform the American medical industry – to reduce dependence on traditional methods and discover the best and safest natural ways to restore and optimize your health.

Part of Mercola’s practice is the use of all-natural products. He has thoroughly scrutinized all of the products that appear on his website to ensure that they’re among the best in their respective categories, like crystal salt from the Himalayas, krill oil from the Antarctic, and grass-fed beef, among others. Money will not get a product on Mercola.com; only quality and relevance do. Dr. Mercola personally attests that any revenue the site makes from these products goes right back into making Mercola.com bigger and better in order to more effectively serve you.

Dr. Mercola started his own clinic, the Natural Health Center, originally called the Optimal Wellness Center, in 1985. To learn more about Dr. Mercola’s practice, his clinic or the products he recommends, visit www.mercola.com or contact him personally at Ask Dr. Mercola.

Dr. Joseph Mercola Promotes the Benefits of Running

2008-08-26T03:15:00.000-07:00

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is the fastest main in the planet as he ran a blistering 9.69 seconds to win the 100-meter gold medal and later, 19.30 seconds to add the 200-meter gold at the Beijing Olympics. Running has traditionally been one of the most popular sports, but more than being a form of competition and training, it is also an effective way of staying healthy.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, founder of Mercola.com, one of the world’s most popular health websites, has been running for 40 years. He started running after he was inspired by Ken Cooper’s book, Aerobics, in 1968. Running has been his passion and form of exercise ever since. Mercola once ran a personal-best 2:50 in the marathon when he was at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and part of the Chicago Track Club.

Running is one of the most efficient and inexpensive ways to get healthy. Just lace up your running shoes and hope for good weather and you’re all set. Scientists believe that the origin of running has molded the human body to its present form, which suggests that we are all designed to run.

Aside from helping you lose weight, a study conducted from 1984 to 1997 showed that aerobic exercise, particularly running, may delay disability and even death in those over 50 years of age. The study compared the health of 619 people aged at least 50, with 370 belonging to a running club. The runners lived longer, had lower cancer rates, heart disease and other ailments, and disabilities occurred to them almost nine years later than the non-runners.

Moreover, the participants of the study who weren’t members of the running club but ran occasionally ran for exercise were also found to be less likely to develop a disability. Additionally, the benefits of running were evident in those who had only recently started the activity, indicating that people who start exercising in middle age can also experience its benefits.

However, Dr. Mercola advises that the first thing to do before running or starting any form of exercise is to listen to your body. Do not run if your body is in no condition for strenuous physical activity because even though you desperately need the exercise to improve your condition, you will only do more harm than good if you go beyond your current limitations. It’s usually best to start with a few minutes per day and then gradually increase your speed and the length of time you spend running.

Running is just one of many natural ways of improving your health. It may provide benefits for a certain person but not for another. As an osteopathic physician, Dr. Mercola believes in designing an individualized program based on a holistic approach based on a patient’s present state of health. Learn more about Dr. Mercola’s practice at Mercola.com.

Boost your Health with Premium Natural Products from Dr. Joseph Mercola

2008-08-26T03:09:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joseph Mercola has been an osteopathic physician for over 20 years. He started his medical career using traditional healing methods but later realized that natural medicine could be just as effective or even provide better results.

As part of his practice, Dr. Mercola is constantly in search of natural products that would provide the most health benefits. His research is focused on what your body truly needs and wants. Among the premium products he recommends include:

New Start & Gentle Cleanse – A lot of people nowadays go to spas to detoxify and relax but neglect to cleanse their inner systems. Toxins accumulate over time through pesticides and preservatives in the food you eat, chemicals in the water you drink, skin care products, and environmental pollutants. It is recommended to do periodic cleansing two to four times a year. Get a much needed inner-detox with New Start & Gentle Cleanse inner cleansing system. New Start is a unique, 10-day formula containing all-natural dietary fibers combined with botanical ingredients including chlorella, dandelion, flax seed and aloe to refine the body’s cleansing function (particularly the liver); reduce toxins by trapping and binding them; and, release them gently and thoroughly from your system. Feel lighter and rejuvenated in just 10 days with New Start & Gentle Cleanse, it’s the perfect way to start your way towards good health!

CardioEssentials – Your search for a healthy, cheap and effective way to help support your heart is over. CardioEssentials contains nattokinase, a powerful enzyme used by the Japanese to help increase oxygen flow, enhance circulation, increase the availability of other nutrients, and even promote bone health and support vision and memory. This product, aside from being ridiculously affordable, gives you the convenience of oral administration and stability in the gastrointestinal tract, plus, it complements the body’s natural clotting and fibrinolytic processes. It’s benefits may also last up to eight hours.

Vitamin K2 – Vitamin K has long been left out of the formulation of multivitamin supplements, causing millions of Americans to miss out on it’s health-enhancing properties. Scientists think Vitamin K may be a key factor in fighting the signs of aging because it is a stronger antioxidant than Vitamin E or COQ10. Studies are also underway to determine it’s effects on immune health and memory support. Vitamin K2 is the most concentrated and superior form of this nutrient and helps promote bone and heart health. It is the most fat-soluble of all Vitamin K forms and also has 10 times more absorption than the rest. It also occurs with good bacteria, which can create probiotics for the gastrointestinal system.

These are just some of the premium dietary supplements that you can find at Mercola.com. But getting healthy involves more than just taking the right products. Get advice from one of the leading natural health experts in the world. Log on to Mercola.com now!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Warns of Laws Against Natural Health Products

2008-08-15T03:15:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joseph Mercola has been practicing natural healing methods for over two decades. His website, Mercola.com is known as one of the most popular natural health websites in the world.

Mercola.com provides the latest developments in the world of medicine, including the most controversial issues.

One of those creating the most buzz is Bill C-51, a new bill proposed by the Canadian government earlier this year which is threatening to drastically affect the neighboring country’s health climate.

Among the questionable changes Bill C-51 will bring if passed into law include shortening the process for approving new drugs. Also, with the current rate of drug licensing failure in Canada, around 70% of natural health products will be illegal, allowing government agents to sanction those who are merely sharing a “therapeutic product” with someone else.

So if you’re an American, why should you care?

If Canada adopts C-51, it will allow trade agreements, like the Codex Treaty, to be passed into law without approval from the Parliament. The United Nations-supported Codex Alimentarius Commission has classified nutrients as toxins. The United States has backed Codex to use a Risk Assessment, branch of toxicology, to determine the maximum level of a substance, including nutrients, which may be ingested without any visible biological effects.

Codex has been working to impose a universal maximum “safe” level on every legally produced, used and sold food supplement – vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc. – with “safe” signifying a level with NO physical effect.

The safety of supplements is likely to become evaluated using the toxicology scale if Codex guidelines become part of Canadian law through Bill C-51, putting pressure on the U.S. and Mexico to adopt the same regulations.

The domino effect sparked by Canada’s possible adoption of this bill may lead to millions of Americans not being able to use natural products to improve their health and treat certain illnesses.

Can you imagine not being allowed to use products like garlic, a therapeutic food, or Vitamin C tablets if the U.S. was to follow Canada’s lead?

Read more about this topic and other issues at Mercola.com or send your questions and reactions at Ask Dr. Mercola.

Stay Informed of Health Matters with Dr. Joseph Mercola

2008-08-15T03:13:00.000-07:00

For Dr. Joseph Mercola, the proper diet combined with a healthy lifestyle will help you gain optimal health.

Mercola, an osteopathic physician trained in the art of natural medicine, is the founder of Mercola.com. At Mercola.com, he helps people get back on track, healthwise, by giving advice on what to eat and informing them of factors that may have an adverse effect on their health.

One of these factors centers on the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on health.

EMFs emanate from electrically-charged objects. The excessive presence of man-made EMFs in our homes cause what is known as electro smog. The abundance of EMFs come from domestic electrical installations and household appliances including power lines, mobile phones, radios, television sets, Wi-Fi, BlueTooth, satellite dishes and electrical motors and transformers in general.

Is electro smog harmful to your health?

There is a lot of research going on about this, including those that indicate an increased health risk concerning the use of mobile phones. As early as March 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft report recommending that EMFs be classified as a probable Class B carcinogen – the same level as formaldehyde, DDT, dioxins and PCBs. However, the EPA succumbed to pressure from utility, military and computer lobbyists and did not classify EMFs as a Class B carcinogen in its final revision, saying that it was not appropriate to label EMFs as carcinogenic until proven by further studies.

While at present, EMFs still cannot be directly linked to cancer and other serious ailments, what’s certain is that as technology continues to evolve, so does the risk of electro smog.

The effect of EMFs is just one issue. At Mercola.com, Dr. Mercola tells you what you need to know because your health is important. Learn about the things you can do and what to avoid in order to stay healthy with his free Natural Health Newsletter. It provides tons of articles and information on anything and everything related to your health.

For Dr. Mercola, living a healthy lifestyle and avoiding risk factors is as important as having the proper diet. Dr. Mercola attends to patients at his clinic, the Natural Health Center (formerly known as the Optimal Wellness Center ). Get to know more about Dr. Mercola and his practice at www.mercola.com.

Start a Healthy Change with Dr. Joseph Mercola!

2008-08-15T03:11:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joseph Mercola is at the forefront of a revolution – one that he hopes will spark a shift in the traditional medical paradigm in the United States.

Mercola was honored in 2007 by renowned economist and entrepreneur Paul Zane Pilzer as one of 15 “wellness revolutionaries,” a group of individuals who’ve made their mark on the health and wellness industry, joining names such as fitness queen Jill Kinney and Carl Rehnborg , the inventor of the multivitamin.

Dr. Mercola was included in Pilzer’s list due to the success of Mercola.com, one of the world’s most popular natural health websites. Mercola.com went online in 1997 and what started originally as a tool used by Mercola to share information with patients and other health professionals has emerged as a total health resource.

But more than Pilzer’s recognition, Dr. Mercola is a revolutionary because he goes beyond the scope of traditional medicine to seek out and provide the health knowledge and resources that will most benefit you, minus the hype and bias.

Dr. Mercola also isn’t afraid to tackle controversial health issues and topics, as he has shown in his New York Times bestsellers, The No-Grain Diet and The Great Bird Flu Hoax. After all, he founded Mercola.com not to win popularity contests but to help Americans win back their health.

Mercola is an alumnus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. After several years of medical practice using traditional methods, Mercola turned to studying the art of natural healing He maintains his own clinic, the Natural Health Center (originally called the Optimal Wellness Center), where the physical, emotional and spiritual health of patients is his utmost priority.

He envisions a future where people will no longer make frequent visits to hospitals and clinics and take less drugs and medical procedures because they’ve regained their health – the natural way.

Experience this healthy change. Visit Mercola.com now!

Put Your Health First with Dr. Joseph Mercola

2008-08-15T03:06:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joseph Mercola will not be the first person to tell you that you are what you eat.

For Mercola, a healthy diet is a key factor in enhancing health and longevity. As a Natural Health Physician with over two decades of experience, he is constantly on the search for the best ways to help you improve your health. At Mercola.com, he recommends natural products that he has actively researched and evaluated to be among the best in their respective categories, including:

Complete Probiotics – It is a little-known fact that 80% of the immune system is actually found in the digestive tract. Maintain a healthy digestive balance by taking Complete Probiotics. It has health-promoting microorganisms that help maintain the ratio of good to bad bacteria, supports the production of B vitamins, promotes mineral absorption and enhances metabolism and the breakdown of toxins. Complete Probiotics survives the acidity levels in the stomach to ensure that the good bacteria reaches the intestines. It has a long shelf life without the need for refrigeration, making it convenient and viable at the same time. You can also take it without worrying about any effects on other supplements or medication you’re taking.

Organic Royal Matcha Green Tea – Over the last couple of years, people have discovered the many health benefits of drinking green tea, including supporting the immune system, promoting healthy digestion, and fighting the signs of aging. But not all the green tea out in the market will give you all these because most are inferior in quality and aren’t green at all – they’re brown! The Matcha variety is known as the most nutrient-rich green tea and was introduced in Japan in the 12th century. Organic Royal Matcha Tea comes from Nishio, Japan, one of the top tea-producing regions in the world. It is steamed rather than roasted or pan-fried and comes in stone-ground powder form, allowing you to take in all the nutrients from the freshest tea leaves straight from the harvest!

Purple Defense Grape Seed – Purple is the color of royalty but it can also be the color that helps improve your health. Purple Defense is a potent formula of anti-oxidants powered by Muscadine grapes. Native to the southeastern part of the U.S., the Muscadine variety is referred to as the “smart grape” because it contains an extra set of chromosomes not present in other grapes, allowing it to store more than 20 phytochemicals that help promote healthy blood sugar levels, support the nervous system and boost the immune system, among other benefits.

Take only what’s good for you. Discover more incredible products at http://products.mercola.com.

Dr. Joseph Mercola Lights the Path Towards Good Health!

2008-08-07T23:50:00.000-07:00

Do you want to find out why a low-carbohydrate diet is better than a low-fat diet? Or ever wonder what Warren Buffett’s seven secrets are for living a happy and simple life?

Get all the information you need to start living healthy and happy at Mercola.com. Mercola.com is consistently among the world’s most popular natural health websites but it’s so much more than just a website – it’s a guide towards a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, one of the most recognizable names in the health and wellness industry today, is the dynamic force behind Mercola.com. It started a decade ago mainly as a tool for Dr. Mercola to share information with patients and fellow health professionals. Now, Mercola.com is a comprehensive and convenient resource for everything you need when it comes to your health.

Are you confused about what’s good and what’s harmful for your body? Be better informed and stay up to date with what’s happening in the world of medicine by subscribing for free to the Mercola.com Natural Health Newsletter. Express your views regarding the current health issues by blogging at the Health Blog. If you’re too busy to regularly go online, don’t worry, you can find what you’ve missed at the Health Archive, home to more than 20,000 articles on useful information related to your health.

Dr. Mercola first practiced traditional medicine as an osteopathic physician but was left unsatisfied with the conventional approach to healing. He turned to studying natural medicine and armed with knowledge in the traditional and alternative healing methods, founded his own clinic, the Optimal Wellness Center, which was later renamed the Natural Wellness Center.

For Dr. Mercola, a healthy diet is a vital part of optimal health. Mercola.com offers a premium line of all-natural products designed for your health needs and sourced from around the world, including the Antarctic Ocean and the Himalayas.

At Mercola.com, you’re sure to find what you need in order to stay healthy. Don’t get left out, log on to Mercola.com now!

Discover Dr. Joseph Mercola’s Simple Secrets to Getting Healthy

2008-08-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

Online since 1997, Mercola.com has consistently been one of the world’s most popular health websites and it’s still growing.

Mercola.com is the brainchild of Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician and natural medicine practitioner. Dr. Mercola practiced traditional methods of healing until he realized that people needed to be empowered to take control of their own health.

Mercola then turned to research and learned the art of natural healing. He launched Mercola.com originally to share the knowledge he has gained with colleagues and patients but it has since transformed to become the world’s largest natural health resource.

More than one million subscribers, including some 100,000 health professionals, receive the free Mercola.com Natural Health Newsletter for their regular dose of health stories and updates in the world of medicine. All the information is stored at the Newsletter Archive so subscribers don’t miss anything. On the other hand, the Health Blog is the place to be voice your opinion on the current health issues and trends.

Dr. Mercola has attended to around 20,000 patients in a career spanning two decades, during which he has also been in contact with other medical practitioners. He doesn’t claim to have all the answers – what he offers are the methods that are most effective towards particular health issues.

Mercola’s basic advice for those who want to get healthy and feel better is very simple and is not something new – start eating healthy, minimize stress and live a healthy lifestyle. In order to facilitate this healthy change, Dr. Mercola highly recommends the use of premium all-natural products. He actively researches the products before offering them at Mercola.com, and does not promote any goods in exchange for money or advertisements.

Dr. Mercola has been receiving patients at his own clinic, the Natural Health Center (formerly known as the Optimal Wellness Center ) since 1985. Find out more about his practice at www.mercola.com or contact Dr. Mercola personally at Ask Dr. Mercola.

Dr. Joseph Mercola and His Vision For a Healthier You

2008-08-07T23:38:00.000-07:00

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing. - Dr. Joseph Mercola

The humor may be dry but for Dr. Joseph Mercola, staying healthy is no laughing matter. An osteopathic physician by training, Mercola has been in the field of health and wellness for over 20 years. What keeps him going is the desire to help people live longer, healthier and happier lives by finding and sharing the best ways to achieve good health.

Dr. Mercola is the founder of Mercola.com, one of the world’s most popular free health websites, which went online in 1997. Now, more than a decade later, the site continues to provide unbiased information and the latest updates in the world of natural medicine to better inform people and help them make the right choices when it comes to their health.

World-renowned economist Paul Zane Pilzer, author of the book The Wellness Revolution, feted Mercola as one of 15 “wellness revolutionaries,” individuals who have made a difference in the field of health and wellness. Pilzer recognized the success of Mercola.com and Dr. Mercola’s efforts in providing a free and useful online health resource.

Dr. Mercola conducts his practice and research at his Natural Health Center (previously known as the Optimal Health Center). At the Center, Dr. Mercola and his staff help patients pinpoint the causes of their health concerns and create personalized and comprehensive treatment plans for them to make them feel better not just physically but emotionally and spiritually as well.

Aside from Mercola.com, Dr. Mercola shares his knowledge by writing books. He is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, The No-Grain Diet (with Alison Rose Levy) and The Great Bird Flu Hoax (with Pam Killeen), as well as Take Control Of Your Health, Sweet Deception and How To Eat, Move And Be Healthy. He has also made appearances on the several national and local television and radio programs including the Today Show, CNN and World News Tonight with Peter Jennings.

Log on to Mercola.com now to find out more.

Absolutely Amazing All-Natural Products Recommended by Dr. Joseph Mercola

2008-08-07T23:25:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joseph Mercola wants to share a simple but often taken for granted secret in staying healthy – use natural products.

Dr. Mercola is known in the health and wellness circles as an advocate of natural healing. The use of all-natural products is a vital aspect of his whole-person approach to healing. He recommends only the best products in their respective categories and only those that you can use daily and can really help you improve your health including:

Organic Pure Gold Raw Honey – Honey has been satisfying man’s sweet tooth for thousands of years but did you know that it also has many health-enhancing qualities? It’s an energy-booster, soothes your skin, promotes a healthy heart and helps promote the growth of good bacteria in the intestinal tract. However, most of the “natural” honey you find at the supermarket has actually been heavily processed and heated, stripping away the vital nutrients. Pure Gold Raw Honey comes from a bee farm in Michigan whose fields are kept free from pesticides and herbicides. The honey is bottled immediately after extraction without heating to deliver the finest quality and retain the vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, enzymes, amino acids and nutraceuticals – nutrients essential for maintaining the immune system and also help fight free radicals.

Pro-Optimal Whey – Most health professionals say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but a lot of people tend to skip it because they are always on-the-go. Jumpstart your mornings with a dose of energy by taking Pro-Optimal Whey. Pro-Optimal Whey is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate beverage that provides contains more than 15 vitamins and minerals, including glutamine and glutathione, which boost your immune system. It comes in three delicious flavors: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Drink it as your regular protein shake or use it to spice-up your pancakes and smoothies. Make it part of your mornings, workouts or snacks. It’s the healthy way to stay active longer!

Himalayan Crystal Salt – Your tastebuds long for it and the body can’t function without it. But did you know that common table salt is 97.5% sodium chloride? The average person’s sodium chloride intake is between 4,000 to 6,000 mg and the body needs 23 times more cell water to neutralize it every unused gram. Excess intake of common table salt may lead to cellulite, rheumatism, arthritis, gout and kidney and gall bladder stones. Avoid all these complications by using Himalayan Crystal Salt, the purest salt on earth. Hand-mined in the Himalayas, this crystal salt has spent over 250 million years maturing under tectonic pressure and is free from environmental pollutants. It’s certified by the Europe-based Frezenius Institute to contain all the natural trace elements found in the body and helps regulate water content, promote bone strength, blood sugar and sinus health and other benefits. Use it to season your food or treat your skin with a rejuvenating bath soak.

Go natural now and make a big difference to your health! Find out more at http://products.mercola.com

Embark on a Journey Towards Good Health with Dr. Joseph Mercola

2008-08-01T02:57:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joseph Mercola has come a long way in the field of medicine. At age 13, he picked up a copy of fitness guru Kenneth Cooper’s book, Aerobics, and started his life-long journey in the health and wellness industry. An osteopathic physician by profession, he founded www.mercola.com in 1997 originally just to share his health newsletters. Mercola.com has since grown into one of the world’s most popular health websites.

Through Mercola.com, Dr. Mercola aims to provide a venue where information and updates coming from different fields of medicine can converge to form a total health resource. His hands-on approach ensures that he is able to review every bit of information that appears in the site so that it contains pertinent and verifiable knowledge that you can really use to get healthy.

Find out how your body and its systems work and learn the do’s and don’ts in staying healthy. Natural Health News features the latest health stories and developments updated regularly so you can keep in touch with what’s happening in the world of medicine. At Mercola, there is no such thing as information overload as the Newsletter Archive and Health Blog provides you with still more insights on how to jumpstart your way to a healthier you.

Dr. Mercola started his own clinic, the Optimal Wellness Center in 1985 near Chicago. Aside from treating patients, he conducted research in order to hone his skills as a master of natural medicine. He recommends the use of all-natural products to facilitate a healthy and lasting change in your lifestyle. This premium line of products includes 100% natural food and dietary supplements, specialized electronics and multimedia. The revenue from these products goes right back into improving Mercola.com so it continues serving you in the best way possible.

Mercola is also the author of two New York Times bestsellers, The No-Grain Diet and The Great Bird Flu Hoax. For more information on Dr. Mercola’s practice, the Optimal Wellness Center or the products he endorses, visit www.mercola.com or contact him personally at Ask Dr. Mercola.

Dr. Joseph Mercola Invites You to try These All-Natural Products!

2008-08-01T02:53:00.000-07:00

A thriving wellness industry has fueled more interest in health-related products and services, particularly vitamins and other dietary supplements. The top companies are raking in billions of dollars worldwide and are all trying to stay ahead of the competition and get a bigger slice of the pie.

With all those brands out there, consumers are usually drawn by what’s new and what’s popular. But don’t just join the bandwagon, make sure that what you take IS REALLY GOOD for you!

Dr. Joseph Mercola has been in the health and wellness industry for 20 years as an osteopathic physician and natural health practitioner. He founded one of the world’s most popular health websites, www.mercola.com. At Mercola, he recommends products that are the best in their respective categories and the most pertinent to your health, including:

New And Improved Antarctic Krill Oil – Yes, you read it right, this highly-recommended supplement is derived from Neptune-type krill netted from the pristine waters of the Antarctic. Krill, small shrimp-like crustaceans which serve mainly as food for whales, carry Omega-3 in the form of phospholipids – substances that deliver essential fatty acids directly to our cells. Neptune krill oil is also better absorbed, pollution-free, stable and has more anti-oxidants. Plus, it contains no fishy aftertaste or side effects. Also, the krill oil is now stored in capliques (two-piece hard shell capsules sealed with a band) instead of gel caps to increase the product’s purity, cleanliness and resistance to tampering.

BioTHIN – Do you want to lose weight but always keep postponing the start of your diet date? BioTHIN is the new and all-natural way formulated to help you lose those excess pounds and take control your overall health. Its active ingredients include fucoxanthin, a carotenoid which speeds up metabolism without affecting the nervous system, and hoodia gordonii, a cactus-like plant from the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. Hoodia gordonii contains the newly-discovered molecule P57, which greatly helps reduce appetite. Besides weight management, BioTHIN also additional provides anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals to help you feel great as well.

Organic Body Butter – Certified 100% organic by the USDA, this skin treat is a healthy and effective blend of eight key ingredients – shea butter, cocoa butter, virgin coconut oil, jojoba oil, murumuru palm butter, rice bran extract, palm oil and aloe vera. The skin is our biggest organ but we sometimes tend to take it for granted. It protects internal organs from injury and infection, helps detoxify wastes through perspiration, safeguards the body against extreme temperature changes and produces and stores Vitamin D, among other functions.

Mercola offers more than just food supplements and healthcare products. Mercola has a premium line of products designed to help you get you started on a healthy and happy lifestyle! For more information, log on to http://products.mercola.com.

Learn About Dr. Joseph Mercola’s Keys to Good Health!

2008-08-01T02:50:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joseph Mercola first became health conscious when he started exercising as a teenager. He was a student at the University of Illinois before going to medical school, and at the university, he developed a nationwide online system for finding kidney transplant recipients. The experience gave him an idea of how powerful a tool the Internet could be for medicine.

After years of practice as an osteopathic physician and natural medicine healer, Dr. Mercola started his own website, www.mercola.com in 1997 and the rest is history. Mercola.com has since become one of the world’s most popular health websites and it’s still growing!

How did this happen?

Well, first of all, access to the website is free! After more than a decade online, it still is. Through the years, Mercola.com has been an invaluable resource that provides natural health and wellness information without charge and without third-party advertisements.

Mercola.com is driven by Dr. Mercola’s experience with almost 20,000 patients, ongoing research of traditional and alternative medicine and his collaboration with other leading medical practitioners. Tons of useful knowledge pertinent to your health are available through the Natural Health News, Health Archive and Health Blog. Everything posted in the website goes through Dr. Mercola himself to ensure that the information is bona fide.

At Mercola.com, finding out how to improve your health is easy. Dr. Mercola’s keys to good health are based entirely on common sense: maintaining the right diet and proper lifestyle. The things that you do – what you eat and don’t eat and how you treat and maintain your body and mind – are what you need to reassess in order to stay healthy. Dr. Mercola can help you do just that and more!

Discover the keys to good health and change the way you live! Visit www.mercola.com!

Dr. Joseph Mercola - The Name You Can Trust with Your Health!

2008-08-01T02:41:00.000-07:00

Who is Dr. Joseph Mercola and why is www.mercola.com now one of the world’s most popular natural health websites?

Mercola has a simple vision – to make Americans as healthy as possible the natural way. That means reducing reliance on drugs, surgery and other traditional practices, and dispelling longstanding health myths that had people fooled for years.

A product of the University of Illinois and the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Mercola is a master of tapping nature’s vast healing properties. He founded the Optimal Wellness Center (OWC), a natural health facility 20 minutes from Chicago. At the OWC, Dr. Mercola and his team of health professionals practice a three-pronged approach, combining the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of treatment to stimulate the body to heal itself.

Dr. Mercola’s New York Times’ bestseller, The No-Grain Diet (with Allison Levy), and its accompaniment, Total Health Cookbook & Program, has helped guide thousands of people change the way they eat, lose weight and make the transition to a healthier lifestyle. His latest book, Take Control Of Your Health, promises to be another page-turner and a valuable resource for health enthusiasts and neophytes alike.

More than 1.5 million people have already subscribed for free at the world’s most popular natural health newsletter at Mercola.com. It contains over 20,000 articles on the most important and compelling issues and development in the health and wellness industry. You can also contact Dr. Mercola personally at Ask Dr. Mercola.

Dr. Mercola has dedicated his efforts to becoming a reliable and trustworthy name when it comes to your health. He is not interested in getting wealthy; he is interested in giving you your health as your true wealth. He personally funds his site, Mercola.com, to free his practice from advertisers, corporate partners and other outside influence. The only recommends the best products, those that will be the most beneficial to you.

Learn more at www.mercola.com now and become Dr. Mercola’s newest partner!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Combines Traditional And Natural Medicine To Achieve Optimal Health

2008-07-25T03:43:00.000-07:00

With the so-called wellness revolution in full swing and showing no signs of slowing down, a good number of health gurus have joined the bandwagon, all preaching their respective methods towards achieving good health. So what makes Dr. Joseph Mercola stand out from the rest?

Dr. Joseph Mercola is trained in both traditional and natural medicine. By fusing elements from the two fields, he has developed a hype-free but refreshing approach towards optimal health. At www.mercola.com, he shares the vast knowledge gained from over 20 years in the health and wellness industry, helping patients regain their health and guiding them to a better lifestyle.

Mercola provides you with the latest developments in the world of natural health. Expand your health knowledge by subscribing to his free resource, Mercola.com Natural Health Newsletter. It gets better. You don’t miss a beat because all the articles are archived. But there’s more. The Health Blog contains additional topics that will change the way you look at your health.

Tired of buying things that don’t keep their end of the bargain? Check out Dr. Mercola’s premium line of products at http://products.mercola.com. They’re designed to help you start a healthy lifestyle. Change your eating habits and start consuming all-natural food and food supplements, or try exclusive electronics that help improve your bodily functions. Mercola’s exciting and innovative product line also includes all-natural personal care items like the new USDA-certified organic Body Butter to help you avoid putting harmful substances on your skin.

You can also get a copy of Dr. Mercola’s New York Times bestseller The Great Bird Flu Hoax as well as other reference materials, including DVDs, CDs, software and online tests and reports.

For Joseph Mercola, good health is not just about choosing the right products; it’s about living the right lifestyle. Log on to Mercola.com now and start feeling better the natural way!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Shows the Way to Good Health!

2008-07-25T03:35:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joseph Mercola’s mission is to help you achieve a healthier you. How? By using his extensive knowledge and experience in osteopathic and natural medicine to guide you through the lifestyle changes needed to stay healthy in today’s world.

Welcome to one of the most popular health sites on the Web. At Mercola.com, your health is the top priority. But the first thing you need to realize is that there are no shortcuts if you want to become as healthy as possible. You have to go back to the basics. This may mean that you have to add or eliminate something from your regular diet, minimize the stress you deal with at home or at your workplace - or start doing things that you’ve never done before!

Begin your journey to good health by visiting www.mercola.com. It provides practical, long-term and hype-free solutions to your everyday health concerns.

Find out if what you’re eating is good for you.

Learn how to take better care of yourself.

Get the latest natural health news and more for free by subscribing to the world’s most popular natural health newsletter.

Or ask Dr. Mercola himself by sending him an email at Ask Dr. Mercola.

Mercola.com is a treasure trove of information on a wide number of health topics and issues. The articles it contains will help you make the choices that will allow your body to maximize its full potential. From nutrition tips to healthy habits, Mercola is the reliable resource to guide you on the road that leads to good health, one day and one step at a time. Start the journey now! Let Dr. Mercola be your partner as you work towards a healthier you!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Reveals the Secrets of Optimum Health

2008-07-25T03:28:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joseph Mercola’s 20 years of experience as an Osteopathic Physician has endowed him with a unique wisdom and view of health and wellness.

Read on if you are concerned about the state of your health, going through a medical condition that you’d like clear answers to or simply trying to turn over a new leaf and start a healthy lifestyle. The next couple of seconds could change your life!

Dr. Mercola can be your guide as you walk the road to wellness. Mercola has dedicated himself to helping patients experience optimum health by combining his expertise in traditional medicine with knowledge acquired from almost two decades of practice in the field of natural medicine. He believes that treatment is a holistic process. For Mercola, finding a cure to an illness is not just about treating the symptoms; it involves treating the whole person.

Dr. Mercola’s motivation in life is to help patients experience optimum health by:

providing the most beneficial health and medical knowledge and resources regardless of category and,

exposing the corporate, government and mass media hype that lure people away from what is truly best for their health.

If you’re interested to learn more about what Mercola has to offer, you can visit his online resource at www.mercola.com. It gives you access to the latest happenings in the world of natural health. Find out how to set an appointment at the Natural Health Center and try his Total Health Program.

Dr. Mercola is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, The No-Grain Diet (with Alison Rose Levy) and The Great Bird Flu Hoax (with Pam Killeen). He has also appeared on the Today Show, CNN, World News Tonight with Peter Jennings and other national and local television and radio programs.

Visit Mercola.com now or send him your questions personally at Ask Dr. Mercola.

Dr. Joseph Mercola Shows You the Healing Powers of Nature!

2008-07-25T02:10:00.000-07:00

Dr. Joseph Mercola has been in the field of natural medicine for almost two decades and is a firm believer in the power of natural healing. A well-known figure in the field of health and wellness, Mercola highly recommends the use of all-natural products.

In today’s fast-paced world, everyone wants everything done in an instant. People consume a lot of processed foods without considering the harmful effects to their health in the long run. Tons of appliances are up for sale and hog airtime on television, claiming to do things better and faster but more often than not, fail to deliver.

So what makes Mercola different? Mercola offers a wide variety of premium products designed to give you WHAT YOU REALLY NEED in order to be healthy and stay happy. From dietary supplements to practical appliances, Mercola has something in store for everyone. To give you an idea of how you can start a healthy change in your lifestyle, you can try:

• Whole Food Multivitamin – This is as close as you can get to natural because the vitamins and minerals are all extracted from RAW foods like pomegranates, apples, prunes, spinach and strawberries. This blend is absolutely FREE from allergens and additives. The award-winning manufacturing company is triple certified: ISO 9001, ISO 17025 and NSF. Now that’s quality!

• Cocoa Cassava Bars – Tastes so good you wouldn’t think it was healthy! Recommended for those who are always on the go and skip meals, those trying to lose weight, or those who simply want to get an instant energy boost. These bars are nutritious, filling and healthy. Try one and you’ll never look at an energy bar the same way again!

• Way Healthier Home Air Purifier – Did you know that indoor air on the average is almost five times more polluted than outdoor air? With the typical American spending 90% of the time indoors, providing an air purification system for your home would be a very good investment. Way Healthier Home Air Purifier is an affordable and energy-efficient system that uses ultraviolet lamps to kill pollutants and allergens like bacteria, molds and mildew, and purifies the air by producing hydroxyl radicals, a vital cleansing agent in the earth’s atmosphere.

At Mercola, nothing is more important than your health and what you need! Find out more at http://products.mercola.com.