Experience the Benefits of Massage with Dr. Joseph Mercola

Friday, September 19, 2008

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

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

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

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

Massage Made Easy

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. Joseph Mercola Tackles the Eye Bag Conundrum!

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

What Causes Your Eye Bags to Sag?

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

Eyelid Surgery

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

You Can Prevent Enormous Eye Bags!

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. Mercola Waves the Red Flag on Cholesterol Drugs

Friday, September 12, 2008

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

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

Friday, September 5, 2008

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!

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

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

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

Friday, August 29, 2008

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

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

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

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.

Dr. Joseph Mercola Lights the Path Towards Good Health!

Thursday, August 7, 2008

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

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

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

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

Friday, August 1, 2008

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.