Safe foods aren’t always as safe as you may think. I’m not just talking about foods high in hidden sugars and fats like whole grain muffins and granolas. Now we’re hearing that foods we once thought to be healthful are turning out to be questionable. Or down right harmful. At some point you and I may need to stop eating all or some of them.

Take seafood, for example.

A few years ago I added fish to my vegetarian diet to make sure I was getting enough protein and omega-3 fats. I went out of my way to eat wild seafood because it was higher in omega-3 fats than farmed fish. The FDA (Food and Drug Association) also said that pollutants like dioxin are 11 times higher in farm-raised than in wild salmon. But now there’s great concern that wild seafood is becoming contaminated with radioactive wastes, so I switched back to the farmed fish.

If you’re as confused as I am, you’re not the only one. The confusion about which fish are safest began three years ago when several nuclear power plants in Fukushima, Japan began leaking radiation wastes into the ocean. The FDA, other organizations, and several scientific studies assured us that the amount of radiation leaking into the ocean was insignificant and wouldn’t harm us. I believe we were sold a bill of goods. We’ve heard for years that no amount of radiation is safe. Now we’re being told that the huge amounts of radioactive materials gushing into our oceans won’t harm us. We want to believe that we can continue eating seafood safely even though exposure from nuclear accidents is known to increase the risk for various cancers. Fukushima has unleashed more than a little radiation.

How much radiation has contaminated our waterways by the Fukushima catastrophe? Every day since March of 2011, between 300 and 400 tons of contaminated water from Fukushima have been pouring into the Pacific Ocean.
By late last year, there were reports that small amounts of cesium-137 had spread to the west coast of the U.S., making many people question the safety of local crabs – which are bottom feeders – and other seafood. Since then, there has been no official word on the safety of west coast seafood.

Cesium-137 takes thousands of years to break down. Nuclear experts say the increase is negligible and not dangerous at this time, but no one seems to know for certain. Meanwhile, the Japanese plants continue to leak. It’s estimated that this discharge will continue for 40 years.

No one has been able to cap the plants. A number of people in the scientific community are predicting that cesium-137 will continue to spread and dump toxins into the Arctic Ocean. Eventually, many believe that it is likely to reach and contaminate Atlantic waters and everything in it as well. In time, all of our waters are in danger of being contaminated. Scientists believe that ocean currents threaten to carry radioactive seawater to the Americas and South Pacific ... and beyond. We’ve never before experienced this level of contamination in our oceans.

How to protect yourself

The good news is you can protect yourself by using supplements you should be taking anyway and eating one very protective food.

We know that fish contain heavy metals like methyl mercury. The larger the fish, the more mercury they contain. Fish also contain other toxic heavy metals like cesium and uranium.

Just like we can remove these metals, we also can remove radiation. And we can remove some of its harmful effects from our bodies at the same time. Whether you eat wild or farmed fish, you need to know that many foods that were once safe may no longer be safe. Both radiation and dioxins are getting into our foods. Cows are grazing on land contaminated with dioxin, a toxic waste found in our air and water. Beef and dairy products now contain dioxins.

The following are simple but effective changes I suggest we all make. I’ve mentioned some of them to you in the past, but this recent information on nuclear wastes contaminating Pacific coast waters makes the subject more urgent.

Miso and seaweed

Ironically, one solution comes from Japan. It was discovered by accident by a doctor who treated atomic bomb victims near ground zero after the nuclear explosions at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Neither he nor his staff developed cancer or other symptoms of radioactive activity in spite of their exposure to nuclear wastes. There was one common denominator: all of them ate miso soup daily.

More than 10 years later, after the accident at Chernobyl, a study showed that irradiated rats that did not eat miso soup daily had 100-200% higher rates of liver cancer than the rats that did eat miso. Miso has since been found to bind to heavy metals like radioactive strontium and remove them from the body.

We should all be eating miso soup daily – or at least a few times a week.
Miso paste is cheap and easily available. Look for it in your local Asian market or health food store. It’s made from fermented barley, soybeans, or brown rice, and naturally contains a fungus full of enzymes and probiotics that protects against the absorption of radiation.

Miso soup is traditionally made with added seaweed, which binds to radioactive elements and carries them out of the body. So start your meal with a cup of miso soup topped with a little seaweed. Fucus, wakame, and other brown seaweeds are considered to be the preferred varieties for binding to heavy metals like nuclear wastes.

Warning: Seaweed is high in iodine, which can be beneficial because it blocks radioactive iodine from getting into your cells. But don’t take it if you have, or have ever had, cancer. Iodine can cause thyroiditis and an overactive thyroid. Studies have shown that cancer patients have a better prognosis when they have a slightly underactive thyroid.

Overheating miso destroys its beneficial organisms. To make miso soup, boil a little water or the soup of your choice, let it cool down a bit, and mix in the miso paste before eating.

Modified citrus pectin (MCP)

Pectin is a soluble fiber found in the peels of citrus fruits. It binds to a number of toxins and removes them from the bloodstream. But not all pectins are equally effective. Most pectin molecules are too large to get into the bloodstream. PectaSol, the MCP used in scientific studies, is the right size and weight to bind to toxins found in radioactive materials and heavy metals. And it does this without affecting beneficial minerals.

Due to the perceived or real dangers from the Fukushima disaster, I suggest
we all take one capsule of PectaSol – the MCP used in scientific studies – morning and night to gently remove radiation and other contaminants. Other pectins just won’t do the job and could cost you your health or your life. Make sure that any pectin produce you buy contains PectaSol. You can get PectaSol Detox Formula, a formula containing both alginates from seaweed and modified citrus pectin from Advanced Bionutritionals by calling 800-791-3395. (Don’t forget to use offer code WH6214 when you order.)

Nordqvist, Christian. “Radioactive Tuna Migrated Into Californian Waters From Japan.” Medical News Today, 2012, May 29. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/245939.php.

Simple Steps to Avoid Dying of Heart Disease

Cortisol is a hormone your adrenal glands secrete when you’re under stress. Any kind of stress – positive or negative – from the loss of a job to a vacation to the threat of an angry dog. Occasional stress is expected. We all experience it at times. It’s part of our body’s “fight or flight” response that kicks in to help us avoid danger when there’s a perceived threat. And it’s usually short-lived. But stress becomes dangerous when it’s chronic and your adrenal glands are constantly producing high levels of cortisol.

Stress is not just uncomfortable, it can be lethal. Researchers at the VU University Medical Center in the Netherlands learned something that even surprised them. They found that people with the highest levels of cortisol were five times more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke within six years of diagnosis as those with the lowest levels.

This was the first study to show that high cortisol levels predict death from cardiovascular disease. Prior to this research, we didn’t know how dangerous chronic high cortisol could be.

And that’s not all. Chronically high cortisol is also a risk factor for diabetes, insomnia, obesity and osteoporosis. Higher levels of cortisol in the blood can reduce cognition, muscle mass, and thyroid function, and increase blood pressure and abdominal fat. As you can see, some of these symptoms can also lead to heart disease ... and death.

Less is better

While chronic stress is harmful, occasional bursts of cortisol can be beneficial. They can enhance memory and immunity, and reduce your sensitivity to pain. But we live in a high-stress culture where we tend to turn on a stress response so often that it becomes chronic. What we need to do is to activate a relaxation response after a fight or flight response and lower our stress levels regularly. Better yet, we need to make lifestyle changes so that we don’t react to stress whenever it occurs.

There are dozens of ways to reduce stress and reduce cortisol production to allow your body to return to normal. This month, I want to suggest just a few that will cost you nothing and give you fast results.

Meditation has become mainstream. It has been used for thousands of years for relaxation and stress reduction, and its effects last beyond the time you spend meditating. A little meditation goes a long way. It doesn’t have to be religious in nature, so don’t let your religious beliefs get in the way of reducing stress using this technique.

There are many forms of meditation, both silent and audible. All will work as long as you do them. You may want to begin by saying a mantra – repeating a word or phrase – like “peaceful” or “I feel calm.” Sit up straight in a chair with
your hands and feet uncrossed and close your eyes. Focus on saying your mantra to yourself or out loud. Whenever a thought wanders in to distract you, gently bring your attention back to your mantra. Do this for just five minutes when you wake up in the morning and before going to sleep at night.

Hint: set a timer for five minutes so your mind doesn’t wonder when your time is up. You should notice an immediate feeling of calmness, and a shift from discomfort to comfort.

Breathe deeply. Three times a week, I go to the gym and ride an exercise bike. I do this for just 15 minutes. I thought it was primarily helping the leg I broke a few years ago stay flexible, and it was. But then I paid attention to what else was going on and I realized that riding the bike helped me breathe more deeply. And this deep breathing helped me relax. In a matter of minutes, I went from being tired and stressed to feeling calm and alert.

Pay attention to your breath right now. Is it shallow or deep? Most of us rarely breathe deeply, but we need to. Deep breathing is at the source of relaxation. It works by sending a message to your brain to calm down and is one of the best techniques you can use for stress reduction.

One method I like to suggest is to sit with one hand on your belly with your feet uncrossed on the floor. Take in a deep breath beginning in your belly and rising slowly until your lungs are filled with air. Hold your breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly and completely. Repeat for five minutes, gradually increasing your inhaled breath. This exercise slows your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure. You can also take deep slow breaths when you’re walking. Even a few deep breaths can make a significant change in your stress levels and cortisol production.

Exercise can increase or decrease cortisol. It all depends on its length and intensity. Moderate to intense exercise is stressful and will release – and raise – cortisol levels. It can also break down muscles. But if you exercise regularly without pushing yourself too hard at first, you will have a better stress response and release less cortisol. This turns a bad habit that can have serious consequences to your health into a life-saving habit.

So begin by exercising daily, if possible. My exercise routines include going to the gym three days a week and taking 30-60 minute walks three times a week. If you haven’t exercised regularly, begin slowly but frequently and gradually increase your time and intensity. Rest after you exercise to give your muscles and adrenal glands the opportunity to refresh and regenerate themselves.
If you exercise longer than 60 minutes, even at a low intensity, your adrenal glands will secrete more cortisol. But the more exercising you do, the better your body will be able to deal with these physical stresses, and the less it needs to release more cortisol.

Don’t be so serious

Researchers at Loma Linda University found that laughter can reduce the damage from cortisol. Others have found that your memory improves when you’re less stressed. You probably know that laughing increases endorphins and dopamine: feel-good brain chemicals. These beneficial neurological changes also make your immune system function better. So watch a comedy on TV and laugh your way to relaxing.

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). “Fight memory loss with a smile (or chuckle).” ScienceDaily, 27 April 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140427185149.htm>.

Ross, Julia, MS. The Mood Cure, 2002, Penguin Books.

Talbott, Shawn, PhD. The Cortisol Connection, 2002, Hunter House.

How Caffeine Affects Dehydration and Memory Retention

Everyone seems to have an opinion about the benefits or harmful effects of caffeine. Some say it’s good for you, while others say it should be avoided or greatly limited. Just what’s the science behind the answers? Should you stay away from caffeine or enjoy your morning cup of coffee or tea without guilt? Let’s look at some of the more recent studies for clarification.

Does caffeine contribute to dehydration?

As we get older our bodies work less efficiently. One change is that we don’t absorb water and other liquids as well as before. If you drink the same amount of fluids now as you did when you were in your 30s, you can easily become dehydrated. And dehydration can land you in the hospital after high temperatures from a flu or diarrhea. This means that as you grow older, you need more fluids than before. Although dehydration is often ignored, it’s a serious problem, especially for seniors.

Years ago, when I first became a nutritionist, I read in various articles that coffee didn’t “count” to help keep a person hydrated. I was told that we needed a cup of water for every cup of coffee we drank before counting a cup toward our fluid needs. You may have heard this, as well. If so, what we all were told was false. You can meet your need for fluids – cup-for-cup – by drinking coffee, tea, and other beverages, as well as water. And the water in soups also helps keep you hydrated. So does the water in fruits and vegetables. They all count.

So where did this myth come from? According to British researchers at the University of Birmingham, it came from a 1928 study that concluded that caffeinated drinks have a diuretic effect. Since that time – more than 80 years ago – there have been only two other studies on coffee and dehydration, and their results were inconclusive.

By the way, both of these studies on dehydration were conducted on men, because the researchers realized that menstrual cycles could cause fluctuations in fluid balance. Apparently, they were not aware that post-menopausal women don’t have menstrual cycles.

The bottom line is that caffeine may over stimulate you. It may contribute to heart arrhythmias. It may have other unwanted side effects if you are particularly sensitive to it. But caffeine won’t cause you to become dehydrated. So enjoy a cup or two of coffee or tea if you like.

How much caffeine should you drink?

This study concluded “Consumption of a moderate intake of coffee, 4 cups per day, in regular coffee-drinking males caused no significant difference across a wide range of hydration indicators compared to the consumption of equal amounts of water.” For women, I suggest drinking no more than two cups of coffee or four cups of green or black tea. The majority of the rest of your fluids should come from water.

Don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Thirst is an indication that you’re dehydrated. Instead, sip some water whenever you feel a slight dryness in your mouth. You don’t have to drink a glass of water every hour. Just keep sipping. If you ever have a bout of diarrhea, increase your intake of fluids.

Does caffeine help you remember?

It’s no news that caffeine enhances cognition. But it is news to hear that it strengthens memories and makes it easier for us to remember them.
In a recent study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, a group of scientists explored the effects of caffeine on long-term memory. This was the first study to explore the strengthening of memories that makes them resistant to forgetting.

In this double-blind trial, a group of people who didn’t routinely consume caffeine was either given a placebo or a 200 mg tablet of caffeine five minutes after studying a number of images. This amount of caffeine they were given is the equivalent of one strong cup of coffee or two cups of black tea. The next day, the researchers tested both groups for their ability to recognize the images from the previous day’s session. More people who took the caffeine pill correctly identified the new images as being similar to, but not the same as, the ones they had seen the day before. And this difference is significant.

The ability to recognize similar but not identical patterns is called “pattern separation,” and it’s a sign of a deep level of memory retention. In fact, this study showed that caffeine has a positive effect on long-term memory that lasts at least 24 hours after being consumed. Drinking coffee or tea every day is one way to enhance memory retention.

NUTRITION DETECTIVE

Ask Your Dentist If You Have Diabetes

Are you one of the many people who may have diabetes, but never bothers to get tested and find out? An early diagnosis could prevent your condition from getting worse. It could even mean the difference between needing insulin at some point or controlling it with diet and exercise.

Hemoglobin A1c is the test that commonly measures the amount of sugar in your blood. Measuring it gives similar results whether the blood sample is obtained orally or through a finger-stick. Both have minimal false positive and false negative results. Until recently, collecting a blood sample with a finger-stick prick was your only option. Now, it’s even simpler.

A single drop of blood is all it takes to get screened for diabetes, and you don’t need to get a painful finger stick or go to the doctor’s to be tested. Your dentist or dental hygienist can test you the next time you have your teeth cleaned or other dental appointment. All your dentist needs to do is to put a drop of blood on a special collection card, let it dry, and send it to the lab for analysis. While this might be a little surprising, a new pilot study found that this method is highly effective. In fact, the authors of the study said, “Our pilot study provides data in strong support of further exploration to capitalize on a promising approach to screen periodontal patients for diabetes.”

The American Diabetes Association says that an A1c reading of 6.5 or more means diabetes. When oral blood is collected, these values change to 6.3 or more.

If your test comes back at, or above, 6.3, it’s time to change your diet by eliminating sugar and refined foods. I’ve written lots of articles on other ways to balance your blood sugar both in my newsletter and my book, 456 Most Powerful Healing Secrets (800-610-2107). You can follow your progress by having your dentist test you at your next appointment.

To speed up your progress, I suggest balancing your blood sugar with Metabolic Defense. This supplement contains the extra chromium most people need along with a number of Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal formulas. There’s simply nothing like it to repair your body’s blood sugar handling system. You can order it by calling 800-791-3395.

Strauss, Shiela M. Janet Tuthill, Geetika Singh, David Rindskopf, Jack A. Maggiore, Robert Schoor, Anya Brodsky, Adi Einhorn, Amanda Hochstein, Stefanie Russell, and Mary Rosedale. “A Novel Intra-Oral Diabetes Screening Approach in Periodontal Patients: Results of a Pilot Study.” Journal of Periodontology, 2011; DOI: 10.1902/jop.2011.110386.

LETTERS

Q: I love potato chips and would eat them every day, but I don’t want to gain weight. I notice there are some chips that claim to have zero fat. Would it be all right to eat a handful or two of them daily? If they have no fat, they can’t be harmful, right? – R.J.J., e-mail

A: Wrong, R.J.J. The zero-fat ingredient in zero-fat potato chips and other snack foods is olestra, and it has side effects. It’s true that olestra blocks the absorption of fats. Instead of breaking down into tiny particles that can get into your cells, olestra passes through your body unabsorbed. So far so good. But let’s look closer.

Pringles, WOW brand potato chips, and a number of other snack foods that are made with olestra can cause abdominal cramping, diarrhea, loose stools, and anal leakage.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, another problem with olestra is that it blocks the absorption of ALL fats including vitamins A, E, and K.

In a recent one-month study, researchers gave participants six potato chips a day. It lowered beta-carotene levels 20% and lycopene by 38%. When the participants ate olestra with meals, it resulted in the greatest depletion of carotenoids.

Olestra is getting a lot of press these days for one of its beneficial effects. It binds to and removes PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), a toxic chemical that can increase blood pressure and lead to diabetes. But in this case I believe the bad outweighs the good.

My recommendation is to eat some crunchy corn chips (organic, of course) made with a little vegetable oil or no oil at all, and stay away from olestra (sometimes called Olean).

Q: I have a problem sleeping. I’ve tried everything from herbs to prescription drugs. The drugs work, but they’re addictive. I don’t want to take them except in an emergency. Some of the herbs work, but they leave me groggy and I worry about falling. Is there anything I could take that is effective that wouldn’t leave me with these side effects? – H.M.F., Los Gatos, CA

A: I’m glad you’re looking for a safer alternative to your insomnia.

As tempting as these solutions you mentioned may be, it’s smart to avoid sleeping pills (drugs or supplements) that leave you groggy, because they can quadruple your risk of falling if you’re a senior. And, as you may know, falls in older age often lead to broken bones and other serious problems.

The newest effective answer to insomnia is tart cherry juice made from Montmorency cherries. Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University gave a group of adult insomniacs age 65 and older a glass of tart cherry juice twice a day for two weeks. It increased their sleep time by an hour and a half!

In a second study, a group of older adults with insomnia drank eight ounces of tart cherry juice morning and night. It had a similar effect. You can find Montmorency tart cherry juice in health food stores and on the Internet.