Have you ever heard of glutathione (pronounced; gloota-thigh-own)? Neither has almost anyone else. Many researchers say it’s probably the most important substance we require to stay healthy. Many go as far to say it’s the secret to prevent aging. So where’s Oprah, and the rest of the media? A quick search of the term “glutathione” on PubMed.gov reveals 94,117 scholarly articles, reviews and abstracts.

Present in every cell of our body, glutathione levels just might be one of the best biochemical markers there is; the higher your glutathione levels are the healthier you will be. Glutathione deficiency is found in almost all patients with extreme illnesses, e.g., cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, liver disease, diabetes and more. In fact, researchers are concluding glutathione deficiency may play a role in patients with schizophrenia. In cerebrospinal fluid of drug-free schizophrenic patients, a significant decrease in the level of total glutathione was observed as compared to controls. EJN

Glutathione’s importance to a properly functioning immune system has been shown in many studies. According to Dr. Gustavo Bounous, “The limiting factor for the proper activity and multiplication of our lymphocytes (white blood cells) is the availability of glutathione”.

Every day our bodies are exposed to stress, pollution, infection, drugs (illicit or licit) and alcohol, poor diet, infections and injury, which drain our bodies of glutathione; this depletion leaves our bodies susceptible to high levels of oxidative stress, which leads to aging, disease and eventual death. I predict that concern about glutathione levels will eventually be on par with other preventative health issues.

Do you have an appointment with your Dr. coming up? Well, whether it’s for a new condition or for a follow-up to a previously treated condition, you want to make sure your doctor listens to what your saying. You also want to make sure you’re expressing yourself properly. Being a paramedic for over 10 years, and having just finished my RN degree, I’ve seen first hand how important communication is in treating patients.

Doctors can be very busy, and in some cases not very understanding. Patients, on the other hand, can be understandably nervous, emotional and unprepared in communicating whats truly going on. Consumer Reports gives a few tips to ensure your doctor listens and understands you.

Get to the point:
Tell the doctor about your chief complaint (main problem) first, and don’t confuse the issue with unnecessary information.

Focus on one issue at a time:
Doctors schedule appointments long enough to deal with one issue at a time. If you have more than one problem to discuss you should ask your doctor if he has time to discuss it. If he doesn’t schedule another appointment.

Use clear, descriptive language:
Be prepared to describe to your doctor how long you’ve had the problem, how often it occurs, how long it lasts, and how severe it is. Be very specific.

Don’t embellish:
Don’t be the “boy who cried wolf”. Doctors can spot somebody over-acting and superlatives from a mile away.

Speak up:
Nothing gets doctors’ attention more quickly than a direct statement such as, “I feel like I’m not getting my point across to you, doc.” Most of them would rather hear what you’re thinking than have you leave the office angry or frustrated.

“You are a living magnet. What you attract into your life is in harmony with your dominant thoughts.”
- Brian Tracy

Many cities and counties around the country have imposed regulations that require restaurants to post the calories of all their meals. Big brother’s reason for the legislation? Once consumers saw the ramifications, i.e., number of calories, of their dietary choices, they would opt for a healthier one. However, not surprisingly, the evidence is indicating that mandatory labeling is having no effect on consumer choices.

“There is a great concern among many of the people who study calorie labeling that the policy has moved way beyond the science and that it would be beneficial to slow down,” said George Loewenstein, a behavioral economist at Carnegie Mellon University who studies calorie labeling. In a recent editorial in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, he asked: “Given the lack of evidence that calorie posting reduces calorie intake, why is the enthusiasm for the policy so pervasive?”

“In New York, the first big city to adopt menu labeling, NYU researchers studied the eating choices of low-income fast-food diners, focusing on those who saw the labels. “Even those who indicated that the calorie information influenced their food choices did not actually purchase fewer calories,” the study says.”

The Washington Post

If human beings always based decisions on whether something they were doing was unhealthy, we wouldn’t have so many doing drugs, becoming obese or smoking. The fact is, most people disregard obvious information, even if it’s unhealthy, when it’s in-congruent with what they want.

When it comes to being healthy, there’s no question that exercise is the key to staying fit. Eating healthy is important, but if it’s not complemented by a fitness routine, then the body has no way to gain the muscle and flexibility it needs to stay healthy. But working exercise into your daily routine can be difficult. Here are 6 ways to force fitness into your life. 

1. Exercise with a Partner

One of the best ways to stay motivated is to have someone who will hold you accountable. If you know a friend is waiting for you to arrive so you can go for a run or a walk, you’ll be much more motivated to get ready and go. It also means that you have a firm time for exercise, so you can’t say, “Oh, I’ll go later.” You know you won’t!

2. Pick Something That Motivates You

Decide why you want to work out, and focus on that. Maybe it’s to feel more energetic, healthier, or just to walk up the stairs without breathing heavily. Whatever it is, keep that image in your mind as you exercise. When you don’t want to do it, remember why it is you’re exercising. Maybe you see your grandma who can barely walk, and you’re determined to be in shape when you are her age. Whatever it is, keep that focus.

3. Keep Variety in Your Routine

One surefire way to lose your motivation is to let your exercise routine stagnate. If you do the same thing every day, you’ll get bored, and so will your muscles. If you’re finding yourself dreading your exercise, pick something new. Find a local yoga studio or adult karate class. Attend a Zumba class or swim laps. Just by doing something new, you’ll be re-energized. 

4. Get Your Fitness Certificate

One way to really motivate yourself is to earn any number of fitness certificates. This could be a certificate to become a personal trainer or fitness trainer. If you’re looking for a new career, this is a great way to motivate yourself to stay in shape (After all, who would want a flabby personal trainer?) and make some money at the same time.

5. Create a Reward System

Stay motivated by rewarding yourself for exercising. This could be something like letting yourself buy something you’ve been wanting if you exercise for a specific number of days in a row. If you’re trying to lose weight, avoid rewards that involve food. 

6. Don’t Pressure Yourself

One thing to avoid is putting too much pressure on yourself. Even if all you can do is go for a 20-minute walk during your lunch hour, that’s still something, so give yourself credit.
A lot of times, exercise is all about your state of mind. Follow these tips, and you will be successful. What is it that helps you force fitness into your life?

On May 16th, Representative Ron Paul asked,

“If we are not even free anymore to decide something as basic as what we wish to eat or drink, how much freedom do we really have left?”

Presidential candidate Ron Paul was talking about the FDA ban on the sale of raw milk (non-pasteurized) for human consumption across state lines. The ban began in 1987, but the FDA didn’t really begin enforcing it seriously until 2006 — when the government began sting operations and armed raids of dairy farmers and their willing customers.

The New American reports:

“Even if the FDA were correct in its assertions about the dangers of raw milk, its prohibition on interstate raw milk sales would still be, as Paul termed it, ‘an unconstitutional misapplication of the commerce clause for legislative ends’ …

Saying he is outraged by the FDA’s raids on peaceful dairy farmers and their customers, Paul has introduced legislation to allow the shipment and distribution of unpasteurized milk and milk products for human consumption across state lines, in effect reversing the FDA’s unconstitutional ban on such sales.

A Daily Finance article cited by Dr. Joe Mercola addresses the issue of safety:

On occasion, people do get sick from raw milk. But the number of people sickened by raw milk compared to other foods does not seem to warrant the FDA’s focused, expensive campaign….

No government regulations of interstate commerce in peanuts, kale, or cantaloupes have been suggested, despite the much greater number of people sickened by consuming these foods.

At some point in your life, someone probably told you that an apple a day will keep the doctor away. In the innocence of youth, many people believed this saying and incorporated it into their daily routines, so much so that they passed the saying on to their children. Now that you’re older and wiser, you probably think back to this saying and wonder if an apple a day really does keep the doctor away.

While there is no scientific proof that eating a single apple a day will keep a doctor away, many health related disciplines have researched and studied this saying. Here’s a look at how adding an apple or two to your diet on a regular basis can help you improve your health and have you spending less time in the doctor’s office.

Lowers High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol 

Many studies have been conducted on what exactly apples can do to improve the health of the body. These studies found surprisingly positive results. They assert that eating several apples, or even just one apple, can significantly lower a person’s blood pressure and cholesterol levels. How’s that for keeping the doctor away?

Apple cider vinegar also has health benefits. Many home and herbal remedies of days gone by called for the use of this type of vinegar to help cure a number of ailments, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Prevents Tooth Decay and Gum Disease

When someone mentions a doctor, people automatically think of medical doctors. But an apple a day can also prevent you from having to see a dentist for anything more serious than your 6-month cleaning. One of the major components of apples is a fiber known as pectin. Pectin can prevent gums from swelling and becoming inflamed. Swelling and inflammation is the leading cause of gum disease, so adding an apple a day to your diet could help you keep your gums healthy.

Tooth decay can also be prevented by the pectin found in apples. When a person bites into an apple, the pectin mixes with the saliva and helps fight off the bacteria that causes tooth decay. Tooth decay, when left untreated, can cause cavities and bad breath. Eating apples, then, can prevent cavities, as well as expensive and painful root canals down the road.

Whether it’s fighting off high blood pressure and cholesterol, or killing bacteria that causes tooth decay, studies show that an apple a day really can help keep a doctor away. Does this change your thinking about including apples in your diet?