NEVER use this sweetner during pregnancy.

Aspartame, an artificial sweetener also known as NutraSweet or Equal, is used in more than 6,000 products, (soda, candy, juice, yogurt, sugar free jello and so many more). Research has shown that aspartame is a carcinogenic agent, and that its effects are increased when exposure starts before birth.

A new study looked at the effect of giving aspartame to mice.  They were exposed to aspartame starting before their births (at 12 days of gestation) and lasting until their deaths.  At that time, autopsies revealed a significantly increased risk of liver and lung cancer.

According to the study in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine:

“The results of the present study confirm that [aspartame] is a carcinogenic agent in multiple sites in rodents, and that this effect is induced in two species, rats (males and females) and mice (males).”

Caffeine Lovers

Asthma Symptoms? Try Caffeine

(this article can be found in the NY Times)

The chemical structure of caffeine resembles that of a common asthma medication that relaxes the airway muscles and relieves respiratory problems, reports Anahad O’Connor.

In a 2007 study in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, researchers pooled and analyzed the results of a half dozen clinical trials looking at the effects of caffeine on asthmatics. They found that caffeine produced small improvements in airway function for up to four hours, compared with a placebo, and that even a small dose — less than the amount in a cup of Starbucks coffee — could improve lung function for up to two hours.

Healthy Gums..

Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Healthy Gum..

Researchers have recently found omega-3 fatty acids may actually lower the risk of gum disease. This finding came after studying data of more than 9,000 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 1999 and 2004. Omega-3 fatty acids are primarily found in fish oils and have a number of healthy benefits including their ability to significantly reduce harmful inflammation in the body. The data indicated that the top one third of participants in the survey in terms of those who consumed the most omega-3s in their diets had an approximately 22 percent reduction in their likelihood of developing gum disease, as compared with the bottom one third. While more research is needed, this is more positive news for the consumption of higher quantities of omega-3 fatty acids and thus, more reason to eat foods high in omega-3s (primarily fish) as well as consider a quality omega-3 supplement.

Sugar... Sugar... Sugar

In the past generation we’ve seen the amount of sugar we consume grow exponentially. Until recently, we had been eating sugar mainly found naturally in foods. It was used as a treat or in small quantities and was never a problem. But today, over a third of the calories we consume come from sugar or white flour, which is highly refined and acts just like sugar in our system. Our bodies cannot cope with such an enormous load. Sugar gives you an initial high, then you crash, then you crave more, so you consume more sugar. It’s this series of highs and lows that provoke unnecessary stress on your adrenals. You get anxious, moody (sugar is a mood-altering drug) and eventually you feel exhausted.
Sugar is also associated with many chronic problems that include decreased immunity, some chronic infections, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, diabetes, pain syndromes, irritable bowel syndrome, ADD, chronic fatigue, and candida. Research suggests that one of the main causes for decreased immunity is that sugars inhibit the entrance of Vitamin C into white blood cells, which then inhibits immunity. The more sugar, the less productive your white blood cells are and thus, the less immune you are. Furthermore, sugars stimulate insulin secretion in the pancreas, which in turn stimulates the liver’s triglyceride production. Triglycerides are linked to stroke, heart disease and obesity. The list goes on and on. Dr. Frank Lipman provides us with all the info on how to curb a sugar addiction.

Here are some tips to help you cope with sugar cravings

• Eat regularly. Eat three meals and two snacks or five small meals a day. For many people, if they don’t eat regularly, their blood sugar levels drop, they feel hungry and are more likely to crave sweet sugary snacks.
• Choose whole foods. The closer a food is to its original form, the less processed sugar it will contain. Food in its natural form, including fruits and vegetables, usually presents no metabolic problems for a normal body, especially when consumed in variety.
• Have a breakfast of protein, fat and phytonutrients to start your day off right. Breakfast smoothies are ideal for this. The typical breakfast full of carbs and sugary or starchy foods is the worst option since you’ll have cravings all day. Eating a good breakfast is essential to prevent sugar cravings.
• Try to incorporate protein and/or fat with each meal. This helps control blood sugar levels. Make sure they are healthy sources of each.
• Add spices. Coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom will naturally sweeten your foods and reduce cravings.
• Take a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement, Vitamin D3 and omega 3 fatty acids. Nutrient deficiencies can make cravings worse and the fewer nutrient deficiencies, the fewer cravings. Certain nutrients seem to improve blood sugar control including chromium, Vitamin B3 and magnesium.
• Move your body. Exercise, dance or do some yoga. Whatever movement you enjoy will help reduce tension, boost your energy and decrease your need for a sugar lift.
• Get enough sleep. When we are tired we often use sugar for energy to counteract the exhaustion.
• Do a detox. My experience has been that when people do a detox, not only does it reset their appetites but it often decreases their sugar cravings. After the initial sugar cravings, which can be overwhelming, our bodies adjust and we won't even want the sugar anymore and the desire will disappear.
• Be open to explore the emotional issues around your sugar addiction. Many times our craving for sugar is more for an emotional need that isn’t being met.
• Keep sugary snacks out of your house and office. It’s difficult to snack on things that aren’t there!
• Don't substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar.
• Learn to read labels. Although I would encourage you to eat as few foods as possible that have labels, educate yourself about what you’re putting into your body. The longer the list of ingredients, the more likely sugar is going to be included on that list. So check the grams of sugar, and choose products with the least sugar per serving.
• Become familiar with sugar terminology. Recognize that all of these are sweeteners: corn syrup, corn sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, honey, molasses, turbinado sugar and brown sugar.
• Sugar in disguise. Remember that most of the “complex” carbohydrates we consume like bread, bagels and pasta aren’t really complex at all. They are usually highly refined and act just like sugars in the body and are to be avoided.

Most And Least Contaminated Produce

New research suggests that exposure to high levels of organophosphate pesticides -- commonly found on berries, celery and other produce -- could raise the odds for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. The below list of information from the Environmental Working Group details some important facts about the most contaminated and least contaminated types of produce.The Dirty Dozen
Of the 12 most contaminated foods, 7 are fruits: peaches, strawberries, apples, domestic blueberries, nectarines, cherries and imported grapes.Notable findings:

More than 96 percent of peaches tested positive for pesticides, followed by nectarines (95.1 percent) and apples (93.6 percent).

Nearly 86 percent of peaches contained 2 or more pesticide residues ‚ followed by apples (82.3 percent) and nectarines (80.6 percent).

Strawberries and domestic blueberries each had 13 pesticides detected on a single sample. Peaches and apples were second, with 9 pesticides on one sample.

Peaches had been treated with more pesticides than any other produce, registering combinations of up to 67 different chemicals. Strawberries were next, with 53 pesticides and apples with 47. Celery, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale, collard greens and potatoes are the vegetables most likely to retain pesticide contamination:

Some 95 percent all celery samples tested positive for pesticides, followed by imported cucumbers (84.5 percent) and potatoes (84.2 percent).

Nearly 85 percent of celery samples contained multiple pesticides, followed by sweet bell peppers (61.5 percent) and collard greens (53.2 percent).

A single celery was contaminated with 13 different chemicals, followed by kale (10), and collard greens, domestic green beans, spinach and lettuce (9).

Celery had been treated with as many as 67 pesticides, followed by sweet bell peppers (63) and kale (57).The Clean Fifteen The vegetables least likely to test positive for pesticides are onions, sweet corn, sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, eggplant and sweet potatoes.

Asparagus, sweet corn, and onions had no detectable pesticide residues on 90 percent or more of samples.

More than four-fifths of cabbage samples (82.1 percent) had no detectible pesticides, followed by sweet peas (77.1 percent) and eggplant (75.4 percent).

Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on vegetables low in overall contamination. No samples of onions and corn showed more than one pesticide. Sweet potatoes showed multiple pesticides in 9.3 percent of samples.

The most contaminated single sample among the low-pesticide vegetables showed 4 different chemicals. The fruits least likely to test positive for pesticide residues are avocados, pineapples, mangoes, kiwi, domestic cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit and honeydew.

Fewer than 10 percent of pineapple, mango, and avocado samples showed detectable, and fewer than one percent of samples had more than one pesticide residue.

Nearly 60 percent of honeydew melons had detectable pesticides but only 14.2 percent of samples contained more than one residue. Grapefruit had residues on 54.5 percent of samples, and 17.5 percent showed multiple pesticide residues.

Toyota 52 deaths, Gardasil 49. Toyota recalled.

By Barbara Hollingsworth of the Washington Examiner, reposted at VacTruth.com, March 31:

Cervical cancer accounts for less than 1% of all cancer deaths, so it was somewhat surprising when the US Food and Drug Administration fast-tracked approval of Gardasil, a Merck vaccine targeting the human papilloma virus that causes the disease, in 2006.

As of Jan. 31, 2010, 49 unexplained deaths following Gardasil injections have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. By contrast, 52 deaths are attributed to unintended acceleration in Toyotas, which triggered a $2 billion recall....

No recall for Gardasil, which is required for 6th-grade girls in DC, MD, VA, and many other states. Parents can opt out, but few know the true risks....

Hollingsworth goes on to describe 2 deaths and a stroke of young women following Gardasil injections. She says pro-abort Sen. Barbara Mikulski has requested an investigation into the death of 21-year-old Emily Tarsell, who lived in Mikulski's home state of MD.

My own congressperson, Debbie Halvorson, pushed mandatory Gardasil vaccinations of pre-adolescent girls in 2007 as an IL state senator, prompting me to write the "Debbie does..." series (I and II)

Here is a glaring example of the rush by pro-abort feminists to try to stave off the consequences of illicit sex, in this case a vaccination against the HPV STD, to the detriment of the health and safety of girls and women.

Meanwhile they disparage the obvious, full proof, free, guaranteed to be safe and healthy answer, which is abstinence and monogamy.

What do you see in this x-ray???

This is a mysterious siting that has taken place this morning on this x-ray. Can you help me find out what type of creature this is that's living in this patient? I did a close up for better observation and evaluation.

Bob & the Show Gram, Kristen and Me

Celebrating the Grand Opening of my friend's European Wax Center in Brier Creek. Kristen from G105 was there from Bob and the Show Gram. Check out there web site www.waxcenter.com

Vitamin D Update again...Colds &Flu

A new study has confirmed that vitamin D plays an important role in activating your immune defenses against infectious diseases like the flu.

Vitamin D deficiency has already been linked to a wide spectrum of diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, autoimmune disease and many others.

Dr. John Cannell has also reported that vitamin D helps produce antibacterial peptides that help protect against the flu. That is why in winter, when there is little sunshine, people are more prone to vitamin D deficiency and getting infected with flu viruses.
www.MyWellnessdr.com

My Groupon Offer...

$40 for a Comprehensive Consultation, Exam, Follow-Up, Three Treatments, and Yoga Class from Chiropractic Wellness at Brier Creek ($380 Value)

http://www.groupon.com/raleigh-durham/

The FDA Warns against this SHOT

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday warned doctors and parents against using the Rotarix rotavirus vaccine until further testing can confirm that it is safe. The warning follows the discovery by an academic research group--subsequently confirmed by the FDA and Rotarix manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline -- that the vaccine contains a pig virus called porcine circovirus 1 or PCV1.
An estimated 69 million doses of the vaccine have been administered globally. Estimated worldwide sales of the vaccine in 2009 were $425 million, the company said.

www.MyWellnessDr.com

Acupuncture-Transmitted Diseases

In an editorial on bmj.com today, experts are demanding further funding to establish appropriate infection control guidelines to deal with the growing number of acupuncture-transmitted diseases.
Acupuncture is one of the most widely practiced strands of alternative medicine. It is based on the theory that inserting and manipulating fine needles at specific points in the body helps to promote the flow of Qi or energy.
Most patients recover from infections. However, Professor Woo explains that 5 to 10 percent of the reported pyogenic bacterial infections end up with serious problems including:

• joint destruction
• multi-organ failure
• flesh eating disease
• paralysis
Dr. French, Chiropractor, serves Raleigh, Durham, Brier Creek & RTP
www.MyWellnessDr.com

Vitamin D update with Vitamin A

The British Medical Journal has published a remarkable paper confirming that low vitamin D levels obtained in the past are a risk factor for developing colon cancer in the future.

But the study contained an even more significant finding -- as Dr. Cannell's site has reported before, vitamin A, even in relatively low amounts, can thwart vitamin D's association with reduced rates of colon cancer.

This is the largest study to date showing vitamin A blocks vitamin D's effect.

Vitamin A production is tightly controlled in your body. The substrate, or source of the vitamin A, are carotenoids from vegetables in your intestine. Your body converts these carotenoid substrates to exactly the right amount of retinol. However, when you take vitamin A as retinol directly, such as in cod liver oil, you bypass all the natural controls in this closed system.

Ideally, you’ll want to provide all the vitamin A and vitamin D substrate your body needs in such a way that your body can regulate both systems naturally.

This is best done by eating colorful vegetables (for vitamin A) and by exposing your skin to sun every day (for vitamin D).
Your family doctor can now order a blood test to find if your Vitamin D3 levels are high enough. If not, supplementation can be done or the right amount of daily sun exposure will do it. Unfortunately, the vast majority work indoors.

www.MyWellnessDr.com
Your neighborhood Chiropractor serving Raleigh, Durham, Brier creek and RTP

McDonalds Is Cashing In On Dieting

March 03, 2010 - In a world-first, McDonald's has signed a deal with Weight Watchers to promote some of its meals, such as Chicken McNuggets, as ideal for dieters. The move comes three years after McDonald's paid $330,000 to put the Heart Foundation's tick on seven meals, including burgers and nuggets. In the new deal, McDonald's will use the Weight Watchers logo on its menu boards and tray mats. Weight Watchers will promote McDonald's to dieters. ''Make no mistake, this is about selling more burgers and fries,'' Boyd Swinburn, from the Australian Society for the Study of Obesity at Deakin University, said. ''It got new people through the doors, but once they were in they bought the burgers.''
www.MyWellnessDr.com ...Your neighborhood chiropractor, serving Raleigh, Durham, RTP and Brier Creek NC

Monday night yoga

Office Pictures

Some Photos of the Chiropractic Wellness at Brier Creek. www.mywellnessdr.com ... Dr. Craig French 919-596-2900