There are two major problems with the way doctors treat depression. First, many of the antidepressants they prescribe simply don’t work. Second, doctors are missing the boat by not following up on their patients’ care. Without follow-up, they can’t recognize and remedy this problem.

In addition, many people don’t take depression — especially low-level chronic depression — seriously. They don’t realize that depression can increase their risk for other illnesses. For example, it can double the risk of developing dementia and heart disease.

Nearly half of all seniors receiving treatment for depression get little or no follow-up after their initial visit. Instead, the doctor hands them a prescription and dismisses them. Doctors rarely tell them about possible side effects from these medications or give them other options. It’s no wonder that one common reaction is feeling that no one cares.

A recent Cochrane review (the gold standard of medical reviews) found that only one in seven people treated for depression benefits from medication.

Glasgow physician, Dr. Des Spence, thinks that “we use antidepressants too easily, for too long, and that they are effective for few people (if at all).”

He also points out that 75% of those people who write the definitions of clinical depression have links to drug companies. For instance, the current definition is having low moods for two weeks — including the time spent grieving over the death of a loved one.

My mother suffered with depression for as long as I can remember. What I interpreted as her being unhappy and negative I now realize was mild chronic depression.

Mother didn’t like to take medications — they often gave her uncomfortable side effects — and her doctors didn’t work with her to find something that worked. There were, and there are, other options that often work as well as drugs. Some even work better. If you’re anxious or depressed and are either not given other options or don’t want to take medications, I have some simple suggestions that you and your doctor may have overlooked.

You, your family, and your doctor shouldn’t take depression lightly. In some cases it is debilitating and has even led to suicide. But if you have a chronic low-level depression, it’s possible that simple lifestyle changes could make a difference in your mood.

Exercise is not an option

It’s essential. Whether you do it instead of taking medications, or along with them, regular exercise is an important step in overcoming depression. The reason it works is that it makes neurotransmitters and endorphins — some of the same feel-good chemicals in the brain that antidepressant drugs make.

You don’t need an exceptionally long or vigorous exercise program to get results. Walking half an hour or more five days a week is enough for many people to feel their depression and anxiety lifting. If this is more than you can do now, begin today by taking a five-minute walk and gradually increase your time.

Getting started is the most difficult aspect of exercise. Years ago, a world-class runner was asked what was the hardest part of her marathon-training program. “Putting my shoes on in the morning,” she replied.

What about other forms of exercise like gardening? Or vacuuming? They help. In fact, all movement counts. Walking up a flight or two of stairs instead of taking an elevator counts. Begin today and make a commitment to do the same thing tomorrow. Then build on this.

The right light therapy

The kind of light and the time of day you’re exposed to it can have a profound effect on your mood. You need exposure to full-spectrum bright light during the day and avoid bright light at night to stop depression.

Recently, a study published in the journal Nature discovered that when researchers exposed mice to bright light, it activated cells in the eye that affect the brain’s center for mood. Previous human studies have come to the same conclusion.

Chronic exposure to bright light at bedtime, like watching TV or using a computer, raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol. And cortisol leads to depression and memory loss. If you’re depressed, spend the hour before bed in a room with lower levels of light. And save the bright lights for the first few hours in the morning.

“Treating depression and other mental health conditions can be very successful, but it’s not easy. The first drug, the first treatment, or a single treatment often doesn’t work,” said Christopher Langston of the John A. Hartford Foundation. If you’re depressed, don’t give up. Keep looking for a solution until you find one.

BMJ. (2013, January 23). “Are Antidepressants Overused?” Medical News Today.
Glynn, Sarah. “Using Computers at Night Can Cause Depression.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 15 November 2012. Web.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature11673.html.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/255284.php.

The John A. Hartford Foundation. “Most Seniors Getting Poor Depression Care, According To National Survey.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 16 December 2012. Web.

Get Rid of Your Hot Flashes Without Hormones

Menopause wasn’t easy for my mother. She was plagued with hot flashes and night sweats, which woke her most nights. Bathed in perspiration, she would get out of bed, change her sheets and nightgown, and try to get back to sleep for a few more hours.

All of this occurred before hormone therapy became popular. But even if it had been an option, my mother wouldn’t have taken it. She not only didn’t like prescription medications, they usually gave her symptoms that made them impossible to take. So mother suffered through her menopausal hot flashes.

Hot flashes and night sweats affect millions of women, as well as many men with prostate cancer who are given estrogen. They can last months or years. In fact, some women have hot flashes that begin in their 40s and last well into their 70s. These flashes and sweats are nature’s way of getting excess heat out of the body. But you don’t have to suffer — and you don’t have to take hormones to deal with hot flashes.

Hormones, anyone?

Yes, hormone therapy is one answer to hot flashes and night sweats. And it can be very effective. But you may prefer to avoid this option. In fact, I recommend you avoid the synthetic variety. We know that synthetic hormones are chemically different from those made in our bodies. They act differently, too. And they can cause serious health problems. For instance, Premarin, made from pregnant horse urine, and some forms of estrogen, can lead to breast and other cancers.
Bio-identical hormones, made from natural sources, are thought to be safer, but I’m not convinced that they are. There haven’t been large, long-term clinical trials to prove their safety. In fact, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) believes they may carry the same risks as synthetic hormones.

If you’re interested in taking bio-identical hormones for your hot flashes, you should have your hormone levels tested by a health care professional like a nurse practitioner or medical doctor. Then have them monitor your levels periodically to make sure you’re taking the right dose. These tests can be tricky, because hormone levels can change from day to day, and from hour to hour. In addition, these tests and the hormones themselves can be expensive. Before you decide to take hormones, I have some suggestions for reducing hot flashes and night sweats without them. They’re less expensive, available without any prescriptions, and completely safe.

Cooling devices

During her spells of hot flashes, my mother would make herself a glass of iced tea and rub the glass across her neck and arms. If she could have sat in the refrigerator, she would have! Oh how she would have loved to have any of these cooling devices.

My first suggestion is the Shield Life Cool Pad. It consists of three large sections of cooling crystals that sit on top of a thick mat of memory foam. You can sleep on it or prop it up in a chair and sit against it. The cooling crystals absorb some of your body heat and release that heat when the pad is stored. It works quickly, reducing surface temperature by 10 degrees in less than a minute. And it does all this without batteries, refrigeration, or electricity.

You can find the Cool Pad in stores like Bed Bath and Beyond, or by calling Shield Life at 800-590-0888. It costs $119. A friend of mine has a Cool Pad and loves it. She says it’s well worth the price.

If all you need to stay cool at night is to sleep on a cool pillow, try the ChillowPlus® cooling system. This is just one of the Chillow products, but it has improvements over the older model. It’s a pillow insert that you fill with water to activate. The water absorbs heat from your head and neck, then disperses this heat into the air.

The ChillowPlus slips inside your pillowcase or may be used separately on your back, and needs no further activation or water. It is available at BeyondBeds.com or by calling 888-774-4046 for $34.95. There’s no additional cost for shipping, and it comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. Note: The ChillowPlus has several settings. You’ll want to keep the sleep setting on “cool.”

If you wish you were sleeping somewhere where a tropical breeze wafts over your body instead of lying in bed wondering if your night sweats will ever stop, try the Bedfan® Cooling System. This easy-to-install system blows air between your sheets, removing the heat from your body that otherwise gets trapped. It has dual fans you can control and flexible adjustable arms that hold the sheets up to allow airflow. You can set it up so the breeze just cools your body or cools the whole bed. And you can adjust the speed of the fans without getting in and out of bed.

It’s available for $80 (usually $100) on its website, www.bedfan.com, or by calling 254-231-1262. And it comes with a full money-back guarantee. A copycat version made in China is less expensive, but this one, made in the US, is the patented one I’ve researched and the one I recommend.

Cooling supplements

These, and other cooling devices, treat menopausal heat-related symptoms. I’ve found some supplements you haven’t heard of that treat their cause.

HMC Hesperidin is one of several bioflavonoids in vitamin C. It’s an ingredient found in some formulas designed for menopausal symptoms, but I like using it by itself. If your main problem is excessive heat, it may well be all you need. I’ve given it to patients for years with great results.

Hesperidin acts directly on the hypothalamus, helping it to regulate internal temperatures. In a placebo-controlled study, it eliminated hot flashes in 53% of women and reduced hot flashes 34%. The amount I recommend is 500 mg morning and night. You can get HMC Hesperidin in 250 mg capsules for under $16 from Thorne Research (800-383-6008). Get two bottles — a one-month supply — to see if it works for you. With a money-back guarantee you have nothing to lose and comfort to gain.

Padma Basic® is a remarkable Tibetan herbal supplement with more than 50 studies backing up its effectiveness as a cooling formula. It’s best known for its ability to reduce inflammation, so most people use it primarily for inflammatory conditions like arthritis, diabetes, colitis, and other chronic illnesses. But it makes perfect sense to use Padma Basic to reduce the heat that causes hot flashes and night sweats — especially since it has so many other benefits.

If you have hot flashes, you’re likely to have other inflammatory conditions (my mother suffered from rheumatoid arthritis most of her life). If so, Padma Basic could be your best choice. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, it reduces plaque in arteries, increases circulation, and supports immunity. This powerful supplement is available from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395).

How French Fries, Donuts, and Onion Rings Can Lead to Parkinson’s Disease

Once upon a time, thankfully a long time ago, my breakfast consisted of two donuts and a few cups of coffee. I had a morning routine that never varied. On my way back from the post office, where I picked up mail for my mail order herb tea business, I stopped at a local donut shop. My breakfast consisted of two glazed donuts and many cups of coffee. I remember one day asking Betty, the owner of the shop, how often she changed the oil used in making donuts. “Once a month,” she said. “But I skim it daily to keep it clean.”

Skimming it, however, did nothing to get rid of the toxic organic compounds called aldehydes. These develop in most oils after you reheat them. Some of these aldehydes remain in foods after the fatty acids in the oil break down. They can react with proteins, enzymes, and even hormones in your body and interfere with their function by causing oxidative stress.

These aldehydes can lead to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Research also has linked them to some forms of cancer. I didn’t know this at that time. I only knew that I looked forward to eating this breakfast six days a week.

All fried foods are not equally harmful. It all depends on which oils you cook them in. The journal Food Chemistry recently published a Spanish study where researchers heated two types of oil — olive and sunflower — at 190º eight hours a day, five days a week (40 hours). The researchers found that sunflower oil, which is high in polyunsaturated fats, produced more toxic aldehydes more
quickly than olive oil, which is high in monounsaturated fats.

What does this mean to you if you don’t know which oils are high in poly-
unsaturated fats and which contain more monounsaturated fats? I’ll make it simple. Don’t eat foods cooked in oils that have been re-heated. This means all deep-fried foods. If you must eat them, don’t eat them often. When you’re pan-frying fish or making stir-fried vegetables, use small amounts of olive oil or coconut oil and keep the temperature turned down a bit.

“Fried Food Risks: Toxic Aldehydes Detected in Reheated Oil,” ScienceDaily, February 22, 2012.

Why Most Cancer Research Is Doomed to Fail

Have you ever wondered why the billions of dollars spent on cancer research hasn't produced a cure for most cancers? I think one explanation for the rising rates of various cancers is our constant exposure to toxic substances. Not just major exposure like spraying fields of vegetables with pesticides, or working in a dry cleaner’s store, but smaller amounts of toxins like those found in low concentrations in our air, water, food, and cosmetics.

Tiny amounts of cancer-promoting chemicals are constantly bombarding us and causing changes in our hormone balance. They mimic estrogen, a known hormone disruptor, interrupting hormone dependent pathways. And we've known that high levels of toxic heavy metals can lead to cancer and other serious illnesses. Now the news is much worse. Low levels are harmful, too.

Recent studies out of Dominican University of California made a disturbing finding. They discovered that the longer breast cancer cells are exposed to small amounts of the heavy metal cadmium, the more aggressive the cells become and the more likely it is that the cancer will spread. Cadmium is not just dangerous for people whose occupation exposes them to high amounts. It’s dangerous for all of us.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid low levels of cadmium. It’s a byproduct from mining and refining copper and lead that permeates our environment. It’s also found in cigarette smoke and rechargeable batteries. So even if you try to avoid cadmium, you can’t. It’s already throughout our air, water, and soil.

There is, however, something you can do to keep these low levels of cadmium from harming you. Some substances can bind to it and remove it from your body. The one I’ve found with the best scientific research behind it is a combination of modified citrus pectin and alginate. These two are combined in PectaSol® Detox Formula (PDF). I’ve personally seen it work well on patients and on myself.

Studies show that this formula not only removes cadmium; it also binds to lead, arsenic, and mercury. In my opinion, we should all be taking one or two capsules of PDF morning and night every day we’re exposed to these toxic metals. And we’re exposed to them every single day. Any woman who has had breast cancer is at high risk genetically for getting breast cancer, or who is worried about ever coming down with breast cancer should be taking PDF on a daily basis.

Don’t ignore the dangers of heavy metal toxicity just because you feel fine. People often feel fine when they’re diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, and other serious illnesses. Pay attention to good scientific studies and take action when you can — especially when there’s an effective solution. Your exposure to low levels of toxic cadmium increases your risk for breast cancer, but PDF lets you render it harmless and reduces your risk.

Don’t wait for mainstream cancer research to find a solution to breast cancer. We’ve already found one effective solution. Environmental toxins are responsible for many of our cancers, and PDF removes them from your body. You can order PDF by calling 800-791-3395.

Eliaz, I., et al. “The effect of Modified Citrus Pectin on urinary excretion of toxic elements,” Phytotherapy Research, 11 July 2006.

NUTRITION DETECTIVE

South American Herb Kills Colon Cancer Cells

It’s a popular drink throughout South America, prized for its numerous medicinal properties and its ability to increase stamina. Now, a study has found that the natural chemicals in this herb tea damage the DNA in cancer cells, causing them to self-destruct. And this study found that it takes only one cup a day to protect you from colon cancer. And that’s not all. There’s more good news.

This tea reduces inflammation — an important factor in the progression of other cancers. This ability to kill cancer cells holds promise for many types of cancers. This study just happened to begin with colon cancer cells. So even if you are not concerned about getting colon cancer, you may want to reduce your risk for other cancers.

The tea is yerba mate, and its active ingredient is a caffeine-like compound called caffeoylquinic acid, or CQA. This compound causes colon cancer cells to die. Yerba mate is particularly effective against colon cancer because the colon and the probiotics that live in it are responsible for much of the absorption and utilization of caffeine-related killer compounds.

As you know, chronic illnesses have an inflammatory component. So drinking a cup or two of yerba mate a day could have a positive effect on diabetes, arthritis, and numerous other conditions affected by inflammation.

If you’re at risk for colon cancer, or just want to increase your protection, consider drinking a cup or two of yerba mate tea. You can find yerba mate tea in health food stores and many supermarkets. My favorite brand is Guayaki. It’s organic and comes in a variety of flavors including green tea, mint, mocha, and vanilla nut. I like the clean taste of plain mate.

Sirima Puangpraphant, Mark A. Berhow, Karl Vermillion, Greg Potts, Elvira Gonzalez de Mejia. Dicaffeoylquinic acids in Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hilaire) inhibit NF-κB nucleus translocation in macrophages and induce apoptosis by activating caspases-8 and -3 in human colon cancer cells. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 2011; 55 (10): 1509 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201100128.

LETTERS

Q: I get sinus infections every couple of months no matter what I do. I’ve taken antibiotics so often that I must be immune to them by now. Do you have any suggestion on how I can break this cycle? I’m at my wits’ end. — D.N., Venice, CA

A: Antibiotic resistance is a common consequence of overusing antibiotics, but it may not be the cause of your problem.

In order to work, antibiotics have to come in contact with the bacteria in your sinuses. But a hard shell that can’t be penetrated by antimicrobials surrounds many of the bacteria that cause chronic sinusitis.

This hard shell that protects the pathogenic bacteria is called biofilm. Microbes surrounded by biofilms can be 1,000 times more resistant to antibiotics. The trick is to penetrate the barrier to allow antimicrobials to reduce the bacteria that are causing your discomfort and pain.

I’ve written about biofilms and how to treat them in past newsletter articles, available on my website. It’s not easy to get rid of them, but you can do it.
First, you need to disrupt the protective shell that surrounds your bacteria.
Next, you need to take the right antimicrobials to destroy your particular microbes.

Finally, you need to increase your colonies of friendly bacteria by taking the right strains of probiotics.

If the information in my articles is not enough, have your health care provider contact Stephen Olmstead, MD, of Klaire Laboratories (888-488-2488).
Dr. Olmstead has been studying biofilm for years and knows which antimicrobials and probiotics work best with specific biofilms and bacteria. But please don’t call him yourself. He can speak only with doctors.

Q: My mother has been taking Ultimate Bone Support for almost three years. Is there a time period when she should be off it? — S. R., e-mail

A: Bone is living tissue. It’s continuously breaking down and rebuilding. Along with calcium and magnesium, Ultimate Bone Support contains nutrients that feed bone. Just as we need nutrients from food on a daily basis to stay healthy, so do our bones.

Your mother can get some of them from her diet. But as we age we have more difficulty absorbing them. And strontium, a key ingredient in this formula, is low in even a healthful diet.

Your mother may be able to get by without taking a bone supplement, but
it’s good insurance against osteoporosis. Doctors are quick to prescribe drugs to protect our bones, but most of them have side effects that can actually cause bones to deteriorate.

I suggest you read some of my past articles on bisphosphonates so you can understand why I suggest women take a formula like Ultimate Bone Support (800-791-3395) continuously. The older we get, the more we need it.