Passage to Indian Carrot Salad

It’s 2:29pm, three days after Christmas. I’m nursing a glass of water at home in Brooklyn, watching Emeril on Food Network, and going over my TO DO list before I go to India.

I’m going to India. I have to keep typing this because I don’t quite believe it yet, even though the plane leaves in 52 hours and 29 minutes. I’m not packed (next on the TO DO list), but I think everything else has been accomplished. The rent is paid, my Visa is all set up, and I’ve had more shots in the last month than most firing squad victims. I am immune to EVERYTHING, up to and including polio, rabies, and that weird virus that made everyone zombies in 28 Days Later.

I’ll be overseas until January 8th, and returning to blogdom on the 10th. In the meantime, Rachel the Cheap Healthy Gourmet has graciously agreed to fill in during my absence. (Read: she’s tied up in the basement with nothing but gruel and a laptop.) While I’m gasping in wonder at the Taj Mahal and trying desperately to avoid an exciting intestinal malaise, you’ll be treated to seven straight days of really, really good recipes and writing. Besides being the best roommate ever, Rach is also the best home cook I know, so I promise y’all are in good hands.

In celebration of the trip (paid for in part by months of hardcore food budgeting), I attempted an Indian Carrot Salad from The Food of India cookbook last night. It turned out okay, but would have been better if I hadn't messed with the directions so excessively. To wit: I added too much lemon juice, made a mustard substitution that didn’t work, and heated the oil to near-bubbling, all of which turned the carrots a little bitter. Ultimately, though it wasn’t terrible (and I’ll finish the dish), I do suggest following the exact measurements and instructions for best results. Which, like – duh.

That aside, I hope everyone’s New Year is ever-so-lovely, and I’ll see y’all again in two weeks. Whee!

P.S. All spices were purchased bulk from my local ethnic market, which is why the prices are so low.

Indian Carrot Salad
Serves 3
Adapted from The Food of India.

½ tablespoon oil (I used vegetable oil – Kris)
1/8 teaspoon black mustard seeds (I used Dijon mustard. Bad idea. – Kris)
1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds
pinch of ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon caster (superfine granulated) sugar
¾ tablespoon lemon juice
9 oz (about 3 large) carrots, finely grated
A few coriander (cilantro) leaves (I left this out – Kris)

1) In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Cover pan. Shake until seeds begin popping.

2) Uncover pan. Add turmeric, salt, and sugar. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and stir. Add carrot and mix thoroughly. "Cover and leave for 30 minutes." If you like top with coriander/cilantro when served.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
57 calories, 2.5 g fat, $0.26

Calculations
½ T oil: 62 calories, 7 g fat, $0.01
1/8 t black mustard seeds: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1/8 t cumin seeds: negligible calories and fat, $0.05
pinch of ground turmeric: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1/8 t salt: negligible calories and fat, $0.01
1/8 t caster (superfine granulated) sugar: 3 calories, 0 g fat, $0.01
¾ T lemon juice: 2 calories, 0 g fat, $0.20
9 oz (about 3 large) carrots, finely grated: 105 calories, 0.6 g fat, $0.45
TOTAL: 172 calories, 7.6 g fat, $0.77
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 57 calories, 2.5 g fat, $0.26

Read more »

Posted in: Sides,Vegan,Vegetarian

A Fox was in the Chicken Coop: Disgraced Former FDA Official Now Marketing Lilly Drug

One really has to wonder about the ethics at the FDA

by Martha Rosenberg

As a 33-year-old Wall Street insider known for recommending hot medical stocks, many were surprised when physician Scott Gottlieb was named FDA deputy commissioner for medical and scientific affairs in 2005.”

Gottlieb has an orientation which belies the goal of the FDA,” said Dr. Jerome Kassirer, former editor of The New England Journal of Medicine.”The appointment comes out of nowhere,” said former FDA Commissioner Donald Kennedy.

“Anything but a reassuring signal,” said Time magazine.

As critics feared, soon after assuming the number two FDA position, Gottlieb had to recuse himself from resource planning for a possible bird flu epidemic because of financial ties to Roche and Sanofi-Aventis. He also had to bow out of work related to Eli Lilly, Proctor & Gamble and five other drug companies.

When three people in a multiple sclerosis drug trial lost blood platelets and one died, he called stopping the study “an overreaction” because the disease not the drug might be to blame.

And when FDA scientists rejected Pfizer’s osteoporosis drug candidate Oporia, forecast to earn $1 billion a year, underlings received accusatory emails from Gottlieb.

His on-to-Wall-Street approach succeeded in rushing Chantix, Pfizer’s stop smoking drug, varenicline, to market but a string of 2006 suicides and the violent death of Dallas musician Carter Albrecht leave many asking if that was such a good thing.

“The truth is, the FDA’s required trials reveal limited information,” Gottlieb wrote presciently in an oped in the Chicago Tribune in 2005. “In many cases, it is only after…drugs are on the market for many years and given to thousands of patients that their true benefits (sic.) are revealed.”

Gottlieb even trashed the definitive Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study that found hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was bad nor good for women’s health saying the results “were rushed to print with a cleverly orchestrated PR blitz.”

Now that he’s left the FDA, Gottlieb is helping sell Lilly’s osteoporosis drug Evista which the company was convicted in 2005 of marketing, off label, for anti cancer and heart disease purposes.

Since Evista has now been approved to reduce the risk of developing some breast cancers writes Gottlieb in an angry oped in the Wall Street Journal in December, doesn’t that transform Lilly’s “speech ‘crime,’ by some measures, into a public service?”

Penalizing Lilly’s off-label promotion of Evista may have proved “fatal” for “patients and doctors who rely on the latest clinical information to make hard decisions,” Gottlieb says implying physicians are lost without input from drug reps with Bachelor of Science degrees.

But of course this is not the first time Lilly has had “free speech” problems.

In October, the FDA told Lilly to stop falsely claiming antidepressant Cymbalta produced “significantly less pain interference with overall functioning” and start mentioning its side effect of liver toxicity.

And documents from its Viva Zyprexa campaign show Lilly marketed the atypical antipsychotic for off label use among elderly patients though an increased risk of death in older patients is a warning on its own label.

Nor is Evista a misunderstood wonder drug.

Launched in 1998 to disappointing results, Justice Department documents reveal Lilly brand managers decided to market off label uses for Evista to boost sales.

And when 20 million women quit HRT in the early 2000’s, marketing Evista (raloxifene), a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), as a kind of anti estrogen or good estrogen made sense.

Like HRT, researchers hinted Evista was an all purpose, youth giving drug, not just preventing and treating osteoporosis but reducing the risk of some types of breast cancer and heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problems in at risk patients.

Dr. Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, head of epidemiology at the University of California, San Diego called a 2002 Evista study, “exciting because it offers new hope in treating heart disease, the biggest killer of women, while at the same time strengthening their bones.”

Barrett-Connor also assured the public that hormone therapy had “no significant effect on the risk for stroke among postmenopausal women with coronary disease” in an article in the American Heart Association’s journal, Circulation, in 2001, paid for by hormone maker Wyeth-Ayerst Research.

Unfortunately, Evista is a little too much like HRT, which, contrary to what appeared in Circulation, causes a 26 percent increased risk of breast cancer, 29 percent increased risk of heart attack, 41 percent increased risk of stroke, and 100 percent increased risk of blood clots according to WHI figures.

Not only does Evista cause lethal blood clots–its warning label says “Increased risk of Venous Thromboembolism and Death From Stroke”–it increases the risk of ovarian cancer say some clinicians.

“Evista induces ovarian cancer in both mice and rats,” wrote Dr. Samuel S. Epstein, professor of environmental medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health in the Chicago Tribune in 1998. “Furthermore, carcinogenic effects were noted at dosages well below the recommended therapeutic level.”

In 2001 scientists at the University of Southern California also found Evista stimulated the growth of ovarian cancer cells.

“In breast and uterine cancer it does not appear to be a problem; in ovarian cancer it may stimulate the cells,” said Dr. Richard Paulson, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology referring to laboratory studies.

Evista advertising is also like HRT, relying on ageism, sexism and fear-mongering to sell product with the patronizing tag line, Protect Her Bones Protect Her Breasts, and a female model symbolically covering her breasts with her arms.

No, off label marketing of Evista is not a public service. But Gottlieb’s departure from the FDA might be.

Martha Rosenberg is a cartoonist for the Evanston Roundtable in Evanston, Illinois
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/12/27/6024/print/

Read more »

Allergy to medicines 'is killing thousands'

This article from The Times in London (UK) certainly is just one more reason to be very careful when taking Rx drugs.

Make sure your health care provider thoroughly educates you on the risks versus benefit based on fact - not what the drug companies plies the field with - And make sure you are fully educated on the side effects. It's required by law!

If you need more information please go to Rxlist.com and read about any drugs you are taking, Go directly to health professional information, skip the patient pages because these items are not beneficial to your knowledge.

Also, if taking multiple Rx, always get your pharmacist to do a drug interaction profile.

The January issue of herbalYODA Says! will focus on informed consent.

by David Rose

Nearly 3,000 patients have died in the past three years as a result of taking medicines intended to help them, official figures show.

Thousands more have been hospitalised after suffering harmful side-effects or serious allergic reactions to prescription drugs and other medications.

Almost half of the deaths occurred last year, while the number of reported adverse drug reactions has increased by 45 per cent over a decade. Growing numbers of patients taking aspirin and other medications for chronic illness such as heart disease could be fuelling the trend, experts suggest.

A total of 964 UK patients died because of suspected drug reactions in 2006, more than 200 after lengthy stays in hospital. A further 4,432 patients were also hospitalised but survived, figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show.

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) describe the unwanted, negative consequences associated with the use of any medications, as a result of medical error or otherwise. They represent a considerable burden on the NHS, accounting for 1 in 16 hospital admissions, at a cost of up to £466 million a year.

Patients admitted because of ADRs stay an average of eight days in hospital, research suggests, meaning that at any one time they take up the equivalent of up to seven 800-bed hospitals in England alone. Over the past three years, 2,846 patients died as a result of a suspected ADR, while 13,643 patients were hospitalised, the figures show.

Drugs most commonly implicated in adverse reactions include low-dose aspirin, diuretics, the anticoagulant drug warfarin and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.

The most common problem associated with these medications is gastrointestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. But many of the reactions were likely to be because of incorrect dosages or known interactions of the drugs and as such were avoidable, research suggests.

The latest figures were revealed in answer to parliamentary questions by the Liberal Democrats. Norman Lamb, the party’s health spokesman, commented: “This is a dangerously escalating problem, which is putting lives at risk and placing a big cost burden on the NHS.” In addition, new “treatment targets” for specific long-term diseases, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, are likely to lead to more patients taking medicines with possible interactions and side-effects, he said.

Approximately 20,000 reports of adverse drug reactions are made to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and Commission for Human Medicines every year through a spontaneous reporting system known as the “yellow card” scheme. But Dawn Primarolo, the Minister for Public Health, admitted that the yellow card scheme “is associated with an unknown level of underreporting”.

“In addition, it is important to note that the submission of a suspected ADR report does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the drug,” she added.

But the Government’s Chief Medical Officer said that the NHS could be better at learning from its prescribing mistakes. At a conference held by the National Patient Safety Agency last month, Sir Liam Donaldson said that drug allergies were a significant cause of avoidable harm in hospitals. He has also recommended that NHS organisations should be fined if patients are harmed while in their care.

“When someone has a known allergy and we give them the drug in error or a lack of awareness as to what’s being prescribed, the results can be fatal,” he said. “Although these are not common events, some mistakes are capable of being repeated and we have to become better at learning from these mistakes.”

Sir Liam recalled the case of Teresa Innes, 38, who lapsed into a coma in September 2001 after a surgeon at Bradford Royal Infirmary prescribed a drug containing penicillin as she was about to undergo a routine procedure to drain fluid from an abscess on her thigh. Despite wearing a red allergy band on her wrist and medical notes giving warning about her acute aversion to the antibiotic, Mrs Innes was given the drug Magnapen, which staff did not realise contained penicillin.

The former care worker suffered an-aphylactic shock, which stopped her heart for 35 minutes, resulting in permanent brain damage. She was left in a persistent vegetative state from which she never recovered. She died two years later.

Sir Liam added: “This is a tragic and avoidable case.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article3097685.ece

Read more »

CHG Favorites of the Week

Blog of the Week
Get Fit Slowly
Another fine blog by JD of Get Rich Slowly fame. He and his bud Mac are chronicling their efforts to drop a few pounds, and though only a few weeks old, it’s already chock full of solid fitness tips, healthy eating strategies, and up-to-date news reports and analysis. Worth a look and an RSS add.

Cookbook of the Week
The Best 30-Minute Recipe
Hm. I think my family found out I like to cook. I got six recipe tomes for Christmas this year, including this one by the makers of Cooks Illustrated, America’s Test Kitchen, and Christopher Kimball’s bowtie. A cursory glance reveals a couple hundred tasty-looking, fairly inexpensive meals, along with CI’s requisite equipment evaluations and hand-drawn filets of salmon. This bodes well.

Food Comedy of the Week
American Cookbook
Subtly subversive parody of ‘50s instruction videos, featuring all kinds of delicious American foodery. The second episode, “Ice Cream” is particularly good, especially when the narrator is discussing his less-than-supportive father. (“They say he died of acute disapproval.”)

Organization of the Week
UN World Food Program
Focusing on emergency situations, relief and rehabilitation, development, and special operations, the UN World Food Program feeds millions of people in dozens of countries worldwide. A few bucks could make a huge difference in somebody’s life.

Quote of the Week
"And, of course, the funniest food of all: kumquats." - George Carlin

Tip of the Week
When I have a particularly dirty pan that’s still hot, I dump a cup or two of water into it. It cleans the equipment immediately, and makes scrubbing a lot easier later. (P.S. I was afraid this would harm the pan somehow, but then I saw Alton Brown doing it, and all is well.) (P.P.S. Don’t do this with glass.)

Video of the Week (Food Division)
“Trapped in the Drive-Through” by Weird Al Yankovic
Possibly the only parody of R. Kelly’s “Trapped in a Closet” epic that’s funnier than the real thing. Be on special alert for the precious few seconds where Al gets the Led out.

Read more »

Posted in: Links

Why Medical Authorities Cannot be Trusted on Gardasil HPV Vaccine

By Gwen Landolt

TORONTO, December 19, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Medical health authorities have repeatedly assured us that Gardasil, the vaccine injection given to young girls to allegedly prevent cervical cancer, is perfectly safe. For example, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, a group of medical specialists, endorsed the vaccine last February. The Society of Gynecologic Oncologists of Canada claims the vaccine is safe, as does Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer. The Canadian Pediatric Society and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada have also endorsed the vaccine.

These medical authorities, however, are puzzled and also indignant that the use of this vaccine still remains controversial, ever since it was rolled out in lightening speed after Ottawa announced a $300 million funding package for participant provinces. After all, they reason, they have approved the drug, so what is the problem? Surely their expert opinion should be sufficient to allay the public's fears about the drug?

The reason the public has good reason to distrust the judgement of these medical authorities is because of their experience with them. It is a fact that the public has heard many similar assurances about other drugs, and used them to their lasting regret. For example:

- In the 1960's, thalidomide was pronounced a safe drug for pregnant women experiencing morning sickness. It was not safe, as thousands of adults with flipper arms and legs can attest.

- In the 1960's, the birth control pill was developed and women were assured that its use had no harmful side effects. Studies now report that the pill can be the cause of a greatly increased risk of stroke, heart attack and blood clots if taken for eight years or more. (British Journal of Medicine, 16 or 17 September, 2007).

- Between 1938 and 1971, as many as 4 million U.S. women and many Canadian women took the drug, diethylstilbestrol (DES) to prevent miscarriage. Daughters of these women who were exposed to DES in utero have experienced a range of structural reproductive tract abnormalities in the uterus, cervix and vagina. The incidents of abnormality occurs in 18% of cases, but it may be as high as 33% in women exposed to DES in utero. The male offspring of women who took DES during pregnancy also have an increased incidence of genital abnormalities and a possibility of increased risk of prostrate and testicular cancer.

- Merck Frosst, the manufacturer of Gardasil, also developed a much-acclaimed painkiller called Vioxx, that was subsequently used by thousands of individuals suffering from arthritis. Unfortunately, the drug had the side effect of causing heart attacks and strokes. As a result, the medication was taken off the market in 2004 and Merck Frosst is now facing thousands of class action suits amounting to billions of dollars in claims.

- By 2001, 15 million women in the U.S. alone, as well a millions of women in Canada and abroad, were taking hormone-replacement therapy (H.R.T.). It became one of the most popular prescription drug treatments for menopause, supposedly to allow women to lead a long and healthier life. However, in July 2002, estrogen therapy was exposed as a hazard to health, rather than a benefit. It was found to constitute a potential health risk for post-menopausal women by increasing risks of heart disease, stroke, blood clots and breast cancer. The question lingers unanswered, as to how many women may have died prematurely because their physician prescribed this medication? A reasonable estimate would be tens of thousands of women. (New York Times, September 16, 2007)

- Europe's largest drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline developed and sold the diabetic drug Avandia, it's second best selling product last year, which was subsequently linked to a higher risk of heart attacks according to a study released in May 2007. This caused sales of the drug to drop 38%.

These are just a few examples of the here-today gone-tomorrow nature of medical wisdom. What we are advised about with confidence one year is reversed the next. One of the contributing factors to this reversal is that the kind of experimental trials necessary to determine the truth about the medication is excessively expensive and time-consuming and very often does not happen. Hence, the problem with these new drugs so enthusiastically recommended by the medical profession.

It is alarming that Gardasil's approval was based on the testing of only a few thousand patients and almost not at all (only 1200) on young girls, 9-13 years old, who are targeted for injection of the drug. (See REALity Sept/Oct. 2007, p. 5)

As its marketing plan, Merck Frosst used lobbyists with access to important public officials. In Canada, Ken Boessenkool, now with the public relations firm of Hill and Knowlton in Calgary, lobbied the federal government on Merck Frosst's behalf. Mr. Boessenkool was a former advisor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper when he was opposition leader. Jason Grier, former executive assistant to Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman, also lobbied on behalf of Merck and Ontario has now decided to administer the drug to young girls.

Even though only approximately 2-5% of women have Pap smears with cell changes due to HPV, the medication was pushed as a preventative cure for cervical cancer. However, no mention was made of the fact that the drug does not protect against other sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis, trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, AIDS, etc. It's all promotion; facts do not count.

The long-term consequences of Gardasil are not known. The manufacturer admits this and agrees it does not know its effect on young girls' cancer risk, on their immunity system, on their reproductive system, or its genetic effects. In due course, we will know this, possibly in twenty or thirty years from now when these young girls, the innocent subjects of the Gardasil experiment have become grown women and then report the consequences of their having taken the medication in their childhood on medical advice.

This article was originally published in the Nov./Dec. edition of REAL Women of Canada's Reality magazine.

Read more »

Weight Loss Promise for a new year

The TV ads are already hawking weight loss products and exercise equipment and the Times Square ball hasn't even dropped.

You might get a head start if you consider a few sensible ideas to help you be successful with weight loss and exercise plans.

One first rule is to avoid all artificial sweeteners such as aspartame (Nutrasweet), acesulfame K and sucralose (Splenda) in foods, beverages or even medications. I'll be posting more on this issue very soon, reflecting information I hope will cause you to reconsider use of these dangerous products.

If you believe you need that sweet taste then try Just Like Sugar, it is all natural.

Some simple tips that will have you losing weight in a balanced and healthy way.

1. Lose weight with water. Water is essential for everybody - it is also the key to losing weight. If you haven't been drinking enough water, your body has developed a pattern of storing water. This water retention equals extra unwanted weight.

By drinking more water, you are not only flushing out toxins, you are also teaching your body that it no longer needs to store water. Drink at least 60 ounces of water (about 8 glasses) a day. Boil water and sliced lemons, and drink this throughout the day to help with fluid retention. If you are still not sold on the merits of water, try this on for size: water is a natural appetite suppressant.

2. Soup up your weight loss program. A simple dietary change will have you shedding pounds: eat a bowl of soup at least once a day. Nutritious, low-salt soups will nourish you as they flush waste from your body. People who eat a serving of soup daily lose more weight than those who eat the same amount of calories but don't eat soup. Go for homemade soup whenever possible, as canned soups are loaded with salt and chemicals.

3. Eat early to keep weight off. The human body follows a circadian rhythm, which means that the same foods eaten at breakfast and lunch are processed differently than when eaten at dinner. Studies show that when you eat your daily protein and fat at breakfast you tend to lose weight and have more energy; however, eating the same things at dinner tend to increase tendencies toward weight gain. I suggest that you eat your last meal of the day by 7 p.m.

4. Eat smaller meals, more frequently. Follow an eating schedule with five little meals every day. Eating steadily through the day keeps you from becoming famished and overeating at your next meal. Make a low-fat trail mix from raw almonds, pumpkin seeds, dried plum, and apples and have it available at all times to avoid the tempting lure of high-calorie snacks.

5. Adopt a balanced approach to your diet. Most of the fad diet programs out there nowadays are extreme in a few recommended foods, or else deprive the body of food altogether. This works in opposition to our metabolism and the results usually don't last, producing a yoyo effect that depresses your metabolic function - not to mention your self-esteem. We are natural beings that need a balance of nutrition from all sources.

Your diet should consist of a balance of organic sources of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Instead of white rice and pasta, opt for brown rice, bulgur, millet, or buckwheat.

Eat more green, chlorophyll-rich foods such as broccoli, kale, spinach, and asparagus. Eliminate candy, sugar, soda, and all simple sugars from your diet. Excess sugar ends up being stored as fat in your body, which results in weight gain. Also, keep dairy to a minimum because most dairy products are high in saturated fat. Avoid fatty foods, processed or fried foods.

6. Walk off the weight. The No. 1 cause of weight gain is inactivity. Physical activity is the key to speeding up your metabolism and burning excess calories. The best way to be physically active is to use your legs! Walk as often and as long as you can. Always take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Step outside during your break at work and take a walk around your building. Consider joining a local hiking or walking club. Try taking a walk 30 minutes in the morning or 30 minutes in the early evening.

I love soups. Since winter is the time for restoration of the kidneys, I'll be making more of my favorite black bean soup. I have a special recipe and it's offered with a donation to Creating Health Institute (viaPayPal).

I believe there is a role for allergy testing in weight loss. I did this recently because I have had problems because I lived in a house with mold some years ago and I wanted to see if my reaction to mold had lessened. In the process I learned I was very allergic to wheat and gliadin. I am also very allergic to all dairy products, garlic, zucchini, green beans, chicken eggs, cane sugar, kidney and pinto beans, beef, chicken and lamb, oats, barley and a few other foods.

Since I started a new food plan I have lost a lot of excess water and don't seem to be as reactive to things in the environment. I have more energy too!

We offer a home test for food allergy; just contact us if you are interested.

Read more »

Planning ahead

There is new snow on the ground since last night. That means I'll have to bundle up to go fill the bird feeders and sweep or shovel the snow from the decks, sidewalks and the driveway. I could have a snow blower I guess but that is just one more gadget.

I looked out my front window this morning and saw what looks like a random act of kindness because the walk in front of my house looks like a mini snow plow has gone and done the work for me. How nice!

Shoveling snow is a good exercise. Pacing the work is the key to doing it without tiring or excessive stress from all that food from the previous day. Many people do suffer heart problems if this seasonal work gets too strenuous.

Heart health is also a big topic these days, maybe it is just to make sure that the Baby Boomers - and even children - line up for toxic drugs.

If you want a few tips on non-drug help, here's a list from an MD I know who seems to have thought more than most -

A new report shows the number of kids taking statin drugs shot up 68% in just 5 years.1

It’s great that younger people are focusing on heart health. And it’s certainly alarming that health problems related to heart disease are showing up at younger ages than ever before. But statin drugs aren’t the answer. As I’ve pointed out before, they pose serious health risks, including

* Inability to concentrate
* Depression
* Confusion
* Impotence
* Amnesia
* Lowered sex drive
* Disorientation
* Weakened immune system
* Shortness of breath
* Liver damage
* Fatigue
* Kidney failure
* Nerve pain
* Death
* Muscle weakness
* Rhabdomyolysis (painful bursting of muscle cells)
Study after study has demonstrated the potentially debilitating effects of statin drugs. They can produce confused states similar to Alzheimer’s disease. They may increase the risk of cancer death. And putting the blame on LDL cholesterol, they don’t even help solve the underlying problems that cause heart disease.

Cholesterol is the great red herring of mainstream medicine’s take on heart health. Despite twenty years of propaganda from the heart health industry, the fact is that LDL cholesterol levels are still a terribly poor predictor of whether or not you’re going to have a heart attack. It may surprise you to learn that 75% of heart attack victims have normal cholesterol levels.

And this is old news. The myth of cholesterol’s role in heart disease has been thoroughly debunked. Cholesterol isn't the problem but somehow, this still hasn’t gotten through to mainstream medical establishment or the media.

My advice is to forget about cholesterol and statin drugs and focus instead on the true indicators of heart health. Here’s what you should really be looking out for if you want to know whether you’re at risk:

* Triglycerides
* Insulin
* HDL Cholesterol
* Blood Pressure
* Fasting Blood Glucose
* Waist Size

Triglycerides are the kind of fat in your bloodstream that clogs your arteries. You can lower them safely and naturally by getting more omega-3 and vitamin D. Cod liver oil’s a great source of both. Lean meats, fish, and eggs are also rich in omega-3s. You can also get your vitamin D from supplements – 1,000 IEUs per day will do the trick.

Insulin is the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. And high blood sugar levels lead to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. If your insulin levels are high, you may be developing insulin resistance, the cause of diabetes. Cut carbs out of your diet and replace them with protein.

HDL Cholesterol is the heart of the matter when it comes to heart disease. Your total cholesterol doesn’t matter if your HDL levels are high. If your HDL’s above 85, you’re at no greater risk for heart disease if your total cholesterol is 150 or 350. A combination of exercise and dietary changes are all you need to boost your HDL. Eating more lean meats (either red or white) is a great way to raise your HDL naturally.

Blood Pressure is another indicator of heart disease risk. You can easily lower it through exercise, diet, and supplements. CoQ10, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C have all been shown to benefit people with high blood pressure. Garlic and cayenne pepper also contain natural ingredients that reduce hypertension.

Just remember that statins and other cholesterol lowering drugs interfere with COQ10 in your body so you absolutely must supplement it with at least 100 mg daily. Statins also interfere with some B complex vitamins necessary to health.

You might also want to order a copy of our book, Blood Pressure Care Naturally

Read more »

Lentil Soup: Friends, Romans, Christmasmen, Lentil Me Your Ear

(Apologies for the title. Punnerific!)

Just in time for the holidays, it’s the Christmasiest dish of all: Lentil Soup!

Okay, not really. While Lentil Soup doesn’t scream O Come All Ye Faithful, it is most definitely a meal for frigid December nights – a dense, stewy comfort food that may not be fancy enough to serve guests, but does just fine for on a random Wednesday.

Like every other food that's not pasta or chicken, I’m kind of new to lentils. They careened into my life during a braising class about a year ago, like some savory, wine-infused comet. Needless to say, Cabernet Sauvignon + veal stock + anything = highly satisfying, so my introduction was totally jolly and very bright. However, I do understand why some might have an aversion to lentils. Honestly, they’re kind of dry, and there’s only so much you can do to make ‘em kick. BUT, prepared with some flair (FLAIR!), they’re pretty palatable. Good, even.

This dish fits the flair bill. (The flair bill? Okay, I’ll go with it.) It’s an All Recipes special that starts with a rough mire poix and then simmers long enough to infuse everything with a gentle, savory flava.

Based on reviewer comments, I reduced the olive oil by half, opted for diced tomatoes, substituted chicken stock for half the water, and chose balsamic vinegar over red wine vinegar. They were all good suggestions, though I might cut back on the vinegar. It nearly overpowered the other flavors.

Based on my own preferences, I nixed the spinach called for in the original recipe. I’m raw spinach’s biggest fan, but the cooked stuff seriously grosses me out. I vividly remember accidentally biting into a diner spinach roll a few years ago and nearly spitting it back at my sister. She was not pleased, but – yick.

Also? I think I may have finally learned how to “salt and pepper to taste.” This is very exciting, since I formerly interpreted that particular direction as “salt and pepper until your tongue turns into a raisin.” My new understanding is that salt should be applied enough to highlight and strengthen a flavor, but not become a flavor in itself. Three cheers.
So - here it is. Hope you like it, and I'll be back late next week with new posts. Happy holidays!

Lentil Soup
Makes six large servings
Adapted from All Recipes.

1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups dry lentils
8 cups water (OR 4 cups water and 4 cups broth)
2 tablespoons vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1) In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Saute until onion is soft and tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil. Saute another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2) Add lentils. Stir. Add water and tomatoes. Stir again and bring to a boil. Once soup begins boiling, drop heat to medium-low and simmer for a minimum of 60 minutes.

3) When soup is just about done, stir in spinach and continue cooking until it wilts. Add vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
356.5 calories, 7.2 g fat, $0.69

Calculations
1 onion, chopped: 46 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.15
2 tablespoons olive oil: 239 calories, 27 g fat, $0.16
2 carrots, diced: 50 calories, 0.3 g fat, $0.20
2 stalks celery, chopped: 11 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.40
2 cloves garlic, minced: 9 calories, 0 g fat, $0.10
1 teaspoon dried oregano: negligible fat and calories, $0.02
1 bay leaf: negligible fat and calories, $0.03
1 teaspoon dried basil: negligible fat and calories, $0.02
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes: 82 calories, 0 g fat, $1.39 (ouch)
2 cups dry lentils: 1356 calories, 4.1 g fat, $0.48
4 cups water: negligible fat and calories, free
4 cups chicken stock: 346 calories, 11.5 g fat, $0.92
2 tablespoons vinegar: negligible fat and calories, $0.24
salt to taste: negligible fat and calories, $0.02
ground black pepper to taste: negligible fat and calories, $0.02
TOTAL: 2139 calories, 43.1 g fat, $4.15
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 356.5 calories, 7.2 g fat, $0.69

Read more »

Posted in: Mains,Soups and Stocks,Vegan,Vegetarian

CHG Favorites of the Week

Blog of the Week
Zen Habits
Calming, level-headed, and chock full of sane, well-appointed advice, ZH is an enormously popular blog that gives pointers on how to achieve a simplified, fulfilling life. Extensive archives hold dozens of lengthy articles, with a particular emphasis on food. Mad kudos for the banner, which is eye-grabbing and relaxing at the same time.

Organization Guide of the Week
Charity Navigator: Sharing Your Bounty – Providing Holiday Meals to the Less Fortunate
A brief, link-heavy article about how to best give/serve food to your community and beyond. Great resource for the season.

Quote of the Week
From 30 Rock:
JACK: Lemon, you're here early.
LEMON: Well I gave up caffeine so I've been going to bed at 5:30.

Sketch of the Week
Delicious Dish with Pete Schweddy - from SNL

Featuring Ana Gasteyer, Molly Shannon, and a smokin' hot Alec Baldwin, it wouldn't be Christmas without this sketch.

Tip of the Week
If you’re in a hurry and the size of your cooked vegetables doesn’t matter, opt for kitchen shears over a knife and a cutting board. Cut broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, or herbs directly over the pan.

Untried Cheap, Healthy Recipe of the Week
Mustard-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Carrots and Lentils at Slow Cooked
Fellow Brooklynite Molly gets all Gourmet on our collective tuchuses. Best line (from her bio): “I prefer my meat rare, my restaurants casual, and my cheese stinky.”

Video of the Week (Food Video of the Week)

"Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses
Couldn't miss this one this year. (Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!)

(Photos courtesy of Runnerduck.com and John Gushue.)

Read more »

Posted in: Links

Feed the World: Holiday Volunteering and Food Donations

(This’ll be my last Wednesday article for awhile, since next week is the Day After Christmas, and the week after that I’ll be somewhere in Rajasthan, India. [Fuh real!] Rachel, the Cheap Healthy Gourmet will be taking over for a week in my absence. Girl can COOK, so stay tuned!)

Once upon a time (1984), in a land far, far away (England), there lived a thin, dyspeptic pop star named Bob Geldof. Now, Bob was a good pop star, but at the time, fairly unknown in world-saving circles. Then, one day, he happened to stumble across a BBC report on the famine in Ethopia, where hundreds of thousands of poverty-stricken Africans were dying for lack of food and medicine. Shaken by the conditions of these poor, oppressed people, Bob decided to do something about it.

Using all his thin, dyspeptic pop star powers, young Geldof assembled a mighty group of famous U.K. musicians (Bono, Sting, Paul McCartney), not-quite-as-famous U.K. musicians (Jody Watley, Kool and the Gang), soon-to-be-infamous U.K. musicians (George Michael, Boy George), and dubbed them Band Aid. Together, they recorded “Do They Know it’s Christmas,” the most powerful charity Christmas song since “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (which, as everyone knows, paid for Rudolph’s therapy following decades of emotional abuse by his fellow sleigh-pullers).

Ultimately, the accomplishments of “Do They Know it’s Christmas” are too numerous to mention, so I’ll attempt to sum. It:
A) Rocked the airwaves unlike any holiday tune before it,
B) Gave humanity the worst Christmas lyric of all time (“Tonight, thank god it's them instead of you.") and
C) Raised a humongous amount of cash for people who really needed it

Even now, 23 years later, Simon LeBon and various members of Bananarama are inspiring generations of Kmart shoppers and light FM listeners to consider donating to charity. And that’s what’s beautiful about “Do They Know it’s Christmas” - it’s an enduring reminder that innocent people are still suffering. While many of us are lucky enough to have families to visit, warm places to sleep, and good food to eat during the holidays, lots of folks don’t. And it’s important we do what we can, like young (now old) Geldof before us.

So, this Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Solstice or whatever, consider lending some time and/or hard-earned cash to charitable organizations around the globe. It will make many people very happy, and happy is good.

In fact, here are a few ideas to getchoo started. They’ve all been listed on the site before, and most have either been reported on fairly extensively or rated by Charity Navigator.

Happy holidays!

FEED THE TROOPS

Any Solider
Fulfill a soldier’s request for supplies, food, and ways to pass the time.

The USO
If you’d specifically like to send a care package, the aptly named Operation Care Package is the way to go. Check out their FAQ for more info, or just peruse the site, which is intuitive and informative

Treat the Troops
Jeanette Cram has baked over 640,000 cookies for soldiers overseas. Help her fund the effort.

FEED YOUR NEIGHBORS

The Food Trust’s Supermarket Campaign
Inner-city citizens need fresh food. The Supermarket Campaign is here to help.

Food Bank for New York City
FBNYC helps hungry Big Apple-ites in each of the five boroughs.

Donors Choose
Fund the activity/teacher of your choosing. I linked to the “food” ideas here, but really the whole site is worth a look.

The Society of St. Andrew
SoSA focuses on the distribution of healthy, inexpensive food (with an emphasis on produce) to hungry kids and families nationwide.

Second Harvest
The mother ship to hundreds of smaller food banks, Second Harvest feeds millions of hungry U.S. citizens a year.

God’s Love We Deliver
This is a tri-state area based volunteer group that buys, cooks, and delivers meals to seriously ill men, women, children.

Your local house of worship
Peruse the activities at your local shrine to see how you can pitch in.

FEED THE WORLD

Action Against Hunger
AAH assists the needy in more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, and South America, with special focus on water and aid during crises.

American Red Cross
The mothership.

Read more »

Posted in: Do-Gooding,Health,Links

Apple cider vinegar may be as close as we'll ever come to a universal remedy.

Health Tip

Folk medicine of many traditions calls for a spoonful each day of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. According to The Vinegar Book by Emily Thacker, "Since the beginning of time, mankind has sought the magic elixir which bubbles from the fabled 'Fountain of Youth.' For most of us, apple cider vinegar may be the closest we'll ever come to such a universal remedy."

Thacker reviewed scientific and medical journals and found reports of vinegar's effectiveness in preventing arthritis, osteoporosis, and cancer, killing infections, soothing itches, burns, and sunburns, aiding digestion, controlling weight, and preserving memory. Even Hippocrates, the Greek physician to whose oath every contemporary American doctor must swear, prescribed vinegar as a remedy.

This information and more can be found in Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz

And here is more information

Read more »

Amendment is often unnoticed

The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

The idea of a Bill of Rights worried some of the founders greatly. They feared that, by listing rights not to be infringed by the government, rights that were not listed might be subject to government interference because such interference was not specifically prohibited. The Ninth Amendment was written in an attempt to preclude such abuse.

Originally, the Ninth Amendment was a negative statement. In other words, it prevented the Bill of Rights from increasing government powers by limiting those powers solely to what was listed. In more recent years, however, the amendment has been considered in some court cases to be positive, that it confirmed the existence of rights not otherwise listed but still protected. The right to privacy, for example, while not otherwise listed (although strongly implied in the First, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments) has enjoyed such decisions under the protections of the Ninth Amendment as Griswold v. Connecticut (see also Privacy).

Read more »

Food Inflation Rises - 25 Year High

With the price of food rising steadily it places people in a precarious position.

My suggestion is to establish food buying clubs.

Such groups allow you to buy at almost wholesale and offer you the choice of organic foods and produce.

Azure Standard and United offer these services.

Plus, this WILL help your health!

Read more »

Tuesday Megalinks

Caustic Musings: Financial and Physical Peace
With Dave Ramsey as her guide, Maggie draws some parallels between money and fat.

Chief Family Officer: Bento Lunches Resources and Practice
Bento boxes: they beat the heck out of balogna. Fun ideas for a creative lunch, along with some nifty links.

The Digerati Life: Simple Tips for Grocery Shopping That Will Pad Your Pocket Guaranteed
There are a ton of “How to Shop” compilations in the blogosphere, and they can be pretty repetitive after awhile. This one digs deeper and comes out with some nice strategies.

ESPN: Mitchell Report - Baseball slow to react to players' steroid use
IN: diet and exercise.
OUT: anabolic steroids and lying.
(Side note to Met fans: Todd Pratt? Damn.)

FIRE Finance: 104th Festival of Frugality
This year's final FoF comes to us courtesy of FIRE Finance, a solid personal economics blog with one sexxay banner. CHG is an editor's pick! Whee!

The Kitchn: Food Hack #1 – Use Your Crockpot AND One Head Garlic
Slow cooker suggestion thread + awesome mutant garlic = good reading. (Unless you're a vampire who hates chili.)

Like Merchant Ships: December 2007
If you’re giving gifts, decorating, feeding a family, planning to have people over, or breathing, Meredith’s last month or so of blogging is a must-see. Everything she does is gorgeous.

Men’s Health: Mood Foods - The scoop on six snacks that will help kick your mind into gear
Brain food! Hey, a cerebellum's gotta eat. (Thanks to Lifehacker for the link.)

Reuters: Meat raises lung cancer risk, too, study finds
And a bunch of other cancers. Interesting, important reading for those concerned about cancer's link to diet.

Serious Eats: Paula Deen is Trying to Kill Us, Part 3
I sheepishly admit to loving me some Paula (the one from two years ago that hadn’t gone all HI Y’ALL yet), but holy cow. This is a ticket to cardiac arrest.

Wise Bread: Peanut Butter, the Poor Man’s Protein
Ah, behold - the power of the peanut. Ground and whipped into a fine paste, it is truly the most glorious of shelled treats.

Zen Habits: Inexpensive Gifts to Improve Your Life
Lots of food suggestions here. My favorite: onion goggles. If you weep easily and are a big fan of the bulbs, this just might be a must.

(Photos courtesy of Flickr contributors matachi and dinerjunkie.)

Read more »

Posted in: Links

Holiday Tips to Keep Your Pets Healthy

* Wrap your gifts on an elevated surface, so your pets cannot access (or ingest) string, ribbons, paper or bows, this can cause intestinal blockages.

* Encourage your holiday guests to refrain from feeding your household companions human food; this can result in diarrhea, vomiting, and illness. Keep chocolate away from all dogs and cats as it can be poisonous to pets and may have dangerous effects if enough is ingested.

* The holidays can be a exciting but stressful time for your household pets. The may drink more water then normal, Be alert and check their water bowls often.

* Post your vet's phone number in a prominent location, like your refrigerator. Should a problem arise, this will provide easy access to very important information for anyone visiting your home.

* Dogs and cats that tend to walk on sidewalks and streets should have their paws cleaned upon re-entering the home. Ice, rock salt, and other chemicals can collect in their pads and cause irritation and infections if left to accumulate between their paws.

* Curled up by the fireplace is favorite pastime for some pets.When using the fireplace in a home with pets, always use a fireplace screen to prevent long furry tails from getting too close to the flames.

Animals love to explore with their mouths and make play toys out of everything,so play it safe and keep those lovely gifts and treats out of reach this holiday season. Don't forget to set aside some special quiet time to share with your precious pal. Holidays can be hectic, and they need your attention too!

* From time to time some information listed may be provided by other organizations, individuals, and health care professionals. Always consult your veterinarian professional first before administering any first aid to your pets and for all questions concerning your pets. The articles listed are intended for general information purposes only and are not meant as guidelines. Consult your veterinarian for additional information.

Read more »

Avastin NOT Effective for Breast Cancer

Dr. Ralph Moss has zeroed in on a very hot issue in regard to breast cancer therapy - is it money or health that is the driving motive?

I would weigh in for $$$ as this seems so far to be the driving force in cancer care marketing.

With the known facts that Gardasil is not useful; about 8 million people succumbed to cancer in the last year and 12 million are predicted to develop this so called disease (known to be a nutritionally deficient state since the government said so back in the 1970s, with the additive environmental factors contributing to the increase) in the coming year, can't you try to figure it out as well?

Let us know what you think because we do have a great amount of information we are happy to share.

DR. VON ESCHENBACH -- DO NOT OVERRIDE YOUR OWN ADVISORS!

Last week, the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted 5-4 to recommend against approving the drug Avastin for first-line use in advanced breast cancer. In clinical trials to date, Avastin has not been shown to extend overall survival or to improve quality of life for women with metastatic breast cancer.

Traditionally, FDA has required that new drug approvals should only be granted on the basis of clear evidence of patient benefit. But lately the agency has lowered its standards and has begun to approve drugs based on clinical trials that use surrogate endpoints such as "disease-free interval" and "time to progression" instead of the much more clinically meaningful measure of overall survival. The main beneficiaries of this change in the standard of approval have been big pharmaceutical companies, not cancer patients.

The ODAC is mainly made up of cancer doctors, but does include a few non-physicians, at least one of whom was instrumental in the vote against approving Avastin.

"Absolutely it's a very painful reality that metastatic breast cancer is not curable," said Natalie Compagni Portis, a patient representative on the committee, who voted against approval. But, she added, "I don't think that means that we should just say, ‘Well, here, try this,' if there isn't meaningful data to support it." (New York Times, Dec. 6, 2007).

I congratulate ODAC for recommending against granting a new indication for a drug that has not been proven to work in this patient population. And I especially congratulate Breast Cancer Action, the San Francisco-based activist organization, which led the campaign to educate ODAC members and the public about this issue.

Readers should be aware, however, that this might not be the end of the story. ODAC, as its name implies, is only an advisory committee, and Genentech executives have indicated that they still hope to get around the ODAC decision.

According to the Times, Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellmann, Genentech's president for product development, said the company might ask the FDA for conditional approval on the promise of later providing survival data from two other clinical trials that are now under way (ibid.).

The final decision is now in the hands of Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., the FDA commissioner, and his deputy, Dr. Richard Pazdur, director of the division of oncology drugs. They can still overrule ODAC's recommendation.

As a concerned citizen, you have a right to express your opinion on this matter. I am therefore calling on readers to send a brief email to Dr. von Eschenbach and Dr. Pazdur asking them to listen to their own advisory panel and not to approve the ineffective drug, Avastin, for advanced breast cancer.

Their email addresses are as follows:

andrew.voneschenbach@fda.hhs.gov

richard.pazdur@fda.hhs.gov

If enough of us write in, this will hopefully influence FDA to put the needs of cancer patients above those of the drug companies, and only to approve drugs that are of actual benefit to cancer patients.

Read more »

Wacky Cakes and Crazy Ladies

While certain neighborhoods retain (and deserve) their reputation as somewhat less than pleasant, large chunks of Brooklyn have become safer than four out of five Disney World Lands. (Land of Tomorrow harboring dangerous criminals, of course.) Still, no matter where you live in the borough, sometimes you have to be on your guard. Sometimes at the supermarket.

The Boyfriend and I decided to bake 14 billion Christmas cookies this weekend, for use as gifts, potluck submissions, and building material. In order to accomplish this, we needed butter. Many, many pounds of butter. So, off to Key Food we sojourned, where we were greeted by The Loon, self-appointed Keeper of the Dairy Section.

Though she bore no indicative Key Food employee nametag, we first encountered The Loon applying random prices on boxes of Coffeemate. She turned her attention to us when I, knowing it would be half-price at checkout, procured only one of the Buy One Get One Free boxes of unsalted Hotel Bar quarters.

I was a good eight paces away when I heard “Miss, miss! You forgot your free butter!” I turned, thinking a kind worker was trying to save me a buck. The Loon took this opportunity to grab my arm and guide me back to butter section, where we proceeded to argue over the pricing process of major supermarkets. It went something like this:

ME: Ma’am, thank you, but I’m okay.
THE LOON: No honey, you ain’t. Take this. Put it in your freezer. Don’t you want your free butter?
ME: No, I’m okay. Thanks.
THE LOON (pushes butter in my hand): No, here take it. You want it.
ME: Thanks, no. They go on sale for this price about every three weeks. I have two at home. They’re on sale for the same cost at Pathmark.
THE LOON: No they ain’t.
ME: Yes they are.
THE LOON: No they ain’t.
ME: Yes they are.
THE LOON: No they ain’t.
ME: Yes they … I gotta go.
THE LOON: Okay, lady. Whatever. (Puts butter back angrily.)
ME (ideally): Crazypants, I’ve written all about this particular subject for the last seven months. I keep a price book and shop here every week. You, on the other hand, are killing time hugging milk cartons and putting price stickers on your hat. Thanks, but you’re wrong and I’m good.
ME (actually): Thanks, though. (Scuttles away)

In retrospect, I’m glad the butter wasn’t shoved in my eye socket. And I’m super-glad that when The Boyfriend and I checked out, The Loon was being yelled at by a group of managers for unlawful use of a price gun.

This recipe, then, is dedicated to her. It’s Wacky Cake, a delightful vegan chocolate confection with no eggs, no milk, and most importantly, no butter. It was suggested by commenter Sally, and comes from the extraordinarily nifty Where’s the Revolution Blog. (If you’re a vegetarian, vegan, omnivore, carnivore, or harbor an unnatural obsession with tempeh, head on over.) The batter took about five minutes to come together, and cost a quarter to $0.50 less than most store-bought mixes. Top it off with powdered sugar and serve it for your favorite lunatic today!

Wacky Cake
12 delicious slices
Adapted from Where's the Revolution?

1-1/2 cups minus 1 TB unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup icy cold water
powdered sugar for garnish, optional

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8-inch square pan or a 9-inch pie pan.

2) In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Then, make three wells or indentations in that mixture. Pour vanilla into the first, vinegar into the second, and oil into the third. Douse everything with cold water and stir until all ingredients are just barely combined/moist.

3) Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 25 or 30 minutes, "or until it springs back when touched lightly."

Approximate Calories, Fat and Price Per Serving
178 calories, 6.6 g fat, $0.09

Calculations
1 1/2 cups minus 1 TB unbleached all-purpose flour: 654 calories, 1.8 g fat, $0.08
1 cup sugar: 774 calories, 0 g fat, $0.33
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa: 49 calories, 3 g fat, $0.32
1 teaspoon baking soda: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1/2 teaspoon salt: negligible calories and fat, $0.01
1 teaspoon vanilla: 12 calories, 0 g fat, $0.13
1 tablespoon white vinegar: 3 calories, 0 g fat, $0.03
1/3 cup canola oil: 640 calories, 74,7 g fat, $0.20
1 cup icy cold water: negligible calories and fat, $0.00
powdered sugar for garnish, optional
TOTAL: 2132 calories, 79.5 g fat, $1.12
PER SERVING (TOTAL/12): 178 calories, 6.6 g fat, $0.09

Read more »

Posted in: Desserts and Snacks,Vegan,Vegetarian

Men's Health and Magic Mushrooms

For quite a few years we have supplied a very high quality Reishi extract to many of our clients, finding excellent results for thier health concerns.

Wild mushroom can fight prostate cancer: Israeli researchers

Israeli scientists claim that a wild mushroom, used in traditional Chinese medicine for a century, could treat prostate cancer, the University of Haifa said Friday.
Researchers at the university in northern Israel said they found molecules in the Ganoderma lucidum mushroom, commonly known as the reishi, which help supress some mechanisms involved in the progression of prostate cancer.

"We already knew the mushroom could impede the development of cancer by affecting the immune system. The in-vitro trials we have done show that it attacks the cancer cells directly," chief researcher Ben Zion Zaidman told AFP.

"These results give rise to hope about developing medication to treat prostate cancer," he said of research carried out to date only in Petri dishes. The research still has to be tested on animals.

The reishi is found only in remote, wild areas, preferring a habitat of rotting plum tree trunks, sometimes oak trees, in heavily forested mountain areas.

The Chinese have tried to grow reishi mushrooms for centuries, but it was only in the early 1970s that Japanese experts managed to cultivate them.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among men, with more than 543,000 cases diagnosed worldwide each year.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced in October that he is suffering from prostate cancer and is expected to undergo surgery in the new year.

Fri Dec 14, Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse.

Read more »

Some Facts on the Gardasil Hype You Might Want to Know

The FDA knew back in 2003 that a HPV is not the actual cause of cervical cancer. The actual cause is a "persistent HPV infection that may act as a tumor promoter in cancer induction [8-11].

http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/07p0210/07p-0210-ccp0001-01-vol1.pdf

Please refer to other posts about the risks of Gardasil on this BLOG (via search function)

Read more »

A New Warning for Women with Breast Cancer

Yes, one size does not fit all and it is about time MSM woke up to tell you...

The anthracycline drugs -- long a mainstay of breast cancer chemotherapy -- only benefit a minority of women and should be mostly scrapped, a researcher said here.

The continued use of the drugs "on a one-size-fits-all approach is just crazy and it's medically dangerous," said Dennis Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of California at Los Angeles.

Read the full article here:

Read more »

Fast Food Done Good: Garlicky Broccoli Rabe

It always strikes me as fishy when famous cooks claim they can whip up a ten-course, gourmet-caliber meal in 30 seconds or less. It seems to go against the whole idea that effort produces a proportional result. I’m all for convenience, especially on a weeknight, but yeah – I wonder if truly great dishes must have truly great amounts of time invested in them.

Then, days like Sunday happen and mess me up.

See, I was looking for a side dish to go with Cooking Light's Butternut Squash, Rosemary, and Garlic Lasagna. The lasagna had taken me approximately 4,000 years to make, and I wasn’t up for another mammoth exertion, so its accompaniment had to be easy and ready instantaneously. A quick search brought me to Cooking Light’s Garlicky Broccoli Rabe, which had six cheap ingredients and a 10-minute cooking time. Jumanji!

With the rabe sautéed and the lasagna sufficiently settled, The Boyfriend, me, and two large glasses of Sauvignon Blanc sat for a cozy pre-winter meal. The lasagna, though fairly tasty, disintegrated into noodles and cream almost instantaneously. It was more like thick pasta with white sauce and a few chunks of butternut squash. (The leftovers weren’t great, either. There's still half left five days later.)

The rabe, though? THAT was a keeper. With a touch of heat, just the right amount of bitterness, and all that garlicky scrumptiousness, it was quickly nominated for regular rotation.

So, what do I take away from this experience?

1) I’m wrong a lot.
2) Nope, that’s it.

Cooking Light was (as always) gracious enough to provide calories and fat, so only the price is calculated below.

Garlicky Broccoli Rabe
3 servings – ½ cup each
Adapted from Cooking Light.

1 pound broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1) Fill a medium bowl with cold water and a couple of ice cubes. Set aside.

2) In a medium saucepan, bring a few cups of water to a boil. Add broccoli rabe and boil about 6 minutes, until it's crisp, but tender. Drain and quickly add broccoli rabe to ice bath. Drain again and chop into bite-sized pieces.

3) In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), stirring frequently. Add broccoli rabe, salt, and peppers and warm through, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
67 calories, 2.3 g fat, $0.38

Calculations
1 pounds broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed: $0.99
1/2 tablespoon olive oil: $0.04
1 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced: $0.05
1/4 teaspoon salt: $0.01
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper: $0.02
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper: $0.02
TOTAL: $1.13
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): $0.38

Read more »

Posted in: 15 Minutes or Less,Sides,Vegan,Vegetarian

ABC Fails Listeners on Health Topics

F is for failure. And this is exactly the grade ABC News and Charles Gibson get for their ridiculous report about yoghurt.

Yoghurt is replete with health promoting bacteria and it has been recognized for hundreds of years for this very reason. If you rely on mainstream media to inform you on this topic you really are left out in the cold.

Of course now that Kraft Foods and General Mills are in the over priced trendy nutrafood market now of course this becomes the focal point for getting air time on the networks or in print or electronic media.

Real yoghurt, the kind I know and have eaten for a bit over half a century isn't in a cute little container containing synthetic ingredients, high fructose corn syrup or aspartame or sucralose. It doesn't even have a marketing campaign to make women believe it support "The Race for the Cure".

The kind of real yoghurt I know and love is the same kind known to give the Hunza and Bulgarians world wide recognition for their health and longevity.

Its also the kind that is scientifically proven to be is rich in potassium, calcium, protein and B vitamins, including B-12. Yoghurt strengthens and stabilizes the immune system.

It also fights the damage caused by antibiotics - I've been teaching this for at least 20 years - and helps prevent secondary infections.

Do your self a favor, look for only high quality and preferably organic whole milk or low fat yoghurt. You might have to look in the health food section of your store or at a health food store. Use fresh fruit, honey, vanilla, cocoa powder or more natural substances to add flavor if you need to.

Don't waste your money on those grocery stores or or highly marketed products because that isn't yoghurt.

And you can donate to our Women's Health Education program instead of buying pink lids. General Mills won't support our work because we don't support their fake foods.

Read more »

More STATIN Risks Uncovered

Well, here is a new view on statins that just might make you look at the work of Uffe Ravnskov MD.

Statins May Hike Risk of Hemorrhagic Second Stroke
By Judith Groch, Senior Writer, MedPage Today

DURHAM, N.C., Dec. 12 -- Patients taking statins after a stroke or a TIA were five times more likely than controls to have a second, hemorrhagic stroke if their initial stroke had been hemorrhagic, researchers here reported.
These negative findings came from a secondary analysis of the generally positive results in a clinical trial known as Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels (SPARCL).

That trial found that atorvastatin (Lipitor) at 80 mg a day produced a 16% reduction in fatal and nonfatal stroke in patients with a recent stroke or TIA and no known coronary heart disease, Larry B. Goldstein, M.D., of Duke University here, and colleagues reported in the Dec. 12 online issue of Neurology.

However, the researchers said, their post hoc analysis found that despite the overall reduction in stroke and other coronary events, there was an increase in stroke among atorvastatin-treated patients who had had a hemorrhagic stroke (55 for active treatment versus 33 for placebo, HR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.09 to 2.59, P=0.02).

The findings came from the SPARCL trial of 4,731 patients with no history of heart disease, in which half the participants received atorvastatin and half a placebo. Of these, 67% had had ischemic strokes, 31% TIAs, and 2% hemorrhagic strokes within six months of study entry.

The patients were then followed for a mean of 4.5 years. At the end of follow-up, overall statin treatment reduced stroke in these patients (HR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.71 to 0.99, P=0.03).

However, of those randomized to atorvastatin, 2.3% had a hemorrhagic stroke during the study compared with 1.4% of those randomized to placebo.

At the same time, the researchers found a 21% reduction in ischemic stroke among those taking atorvastatin.

Cox multivariable analyses showed that the hemorrhagic stroke risk was more than five times higher for those with hemorrhagic stroke as their entry event (HR: 5.65, 95% CI: 2.82 to 11.30, P<0.001).

Men were nearly twice as likely to have a hemorrhagic stroke (HR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.13 to 2.84, P=0.01), while the risk also increased with age (10-year increments, HR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.16 to 1.74, P=0.001).

There were no statistical interactions between these factors and treatment, the investigators said.

Multivariable analyses also found that having Stage 2 hypertension at the last study visit before a hemorrhagic stroke increased the stroke risk more than sixfold (HR: 6.19, 95% CI: 1.47 to 26.11, P=0.01).

These data support the need for aggressive management of hypertension, the researchers said.

Finally, they said, there was no effect for baseline LDL-cholesterol level or the most recent level in those treated with atorvastatin.

Anticoagulants and some antiplatelet regimens may be associated with an increased risk of post-stroke brain hemorrhage, the researchers said. However, they found no overall effect of these drugs on the risk of brain hemorrhage in SPARCL.

Unlike patients with an ischemic stroke upon study entry, there is no evidence that those with an original hemorrhagic stroke benefited from treatment, Dr. Goldstein and his colleagues said.

It is, however, important to re-emphasize the exploratory nature of these analyses, they said. They are useful for generating hypotheses, but cannot be conclusive.

Hemorrhagic strokes occurred in no more than 2% of the study population. The observation was found in a post hoc analysis, and the exploratory statistical models accounted for only a small proportion of bleeding, the investigators said.

Therefore, in making therapeutic decisions, they wrote, the increase in the risk of hemorrhagic stroke must be balanced against the benefit of statin treatment in reducing the overall risk of stroke, as well as other cardiovascular events.

The SPARCL trial was funded by Pfizer, maker of atorvastatin (Lipitor). Pfizer employees contributed to the design and conduct of the study, the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data, as well as review of the manuscript.

Dr. Goldstein reported receiving honoraria from Pfizer during the course of this study. Various co-authors have received grants and honoraria from Pfizer for this study or for other research or activities not reported in this research.

Primary source: Neurology
Source reference:Goldstein LB, et al "Hemorrhagic stroke in the Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels study" Neurology 2007; DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.00002296277.63350.77.

Read more »

An A-mazing Discovery

I am always pleased when I read something in the medical reports about the benefits of vitamins, especially when Big Pharma is pushing government so hard to block your access to them in therapeutic doses.

Vitamin A is a very critical fat-soluble vitamin that does many good things. It helps the eyes (remember those vitamin A drops in the eye to prevent blindness in children in Africa?) and helps protect the mucous membrane lining throughout your body, as examples.

One of its known benefits is that it is protective of your health and can both prevent and treat respiratory problems. Of course you have to know how to go about finding the studies because the FDA really doesn't want you to know about just how good vitamins work.

Vitamin A supplements may improve infant survival

By C. Vidyashankar, MDWed Dec 12, 6:28 PM ET

In a study conducted in India, vitamin A supplements given in the early newborn period reduced the risk of infant deaths from diarrhea, fever and respiratory infections, but did not reduce the occurrence of these problems.

In the new study, Dr. James M. Tielsch from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and his team at the Aravind Centre for Women, Children and Community Health in Madurai, south India, randomly assigned 5,786 newborns to receive vitamin A supplements within the first 48 hours after birth and 5833 newborns to receive inactive "placebo."

Infants in both groups were followed up through home visits for 6 months and details of illness were recorded.

Death rates due to diarrheal diseases and fever were markedly lower among vitamin A-treated infants compared with those given placebo. There was also evidence that vitamin A reduced the risk of death from respiratory infection, Tielsch and colleagues report in the Journal of Nutrition.

However, as noted, vitamin A supplementation did not actually reduce the occurrence of diarrheal disease, fever, or respiratory infection, the researchers report.

"It is...a consistent finding in almost all vitamin A supplementation studies done in low-income countries over the past 20 years that we see important positive effects in reducing mortality, but the incidence of (illness) is not changed," Tielsch told Reuters Health.

Because vitamin A deficiency testing is very costly, he added, "the general approach to a preventive intervention like this would be to provide it to all infants in populations with known vitamin A deficiency."

SOURCE: Journal of Nutrition, November 2007.

Read more »

Opening the Record on Big Pharma

I worked for many years in psychiatry and always integrated this care in my work in intensive care units as well as in community health.

Yes, I have prescribed some of these drugs, but because more and more disenchanted as I learned more and more of what the manufacturers really knew about thier so called 'block busters'.

I also know that these drugs were plied on my mother following a closed head injury she suffered. I know that the chemical soup she was prescribed caused serious side effects, even causing her to try to jump out of a window. Additionally I know that the 5 Star corporate care center where my brother (an insurance salesman with NO medical understanding, living on the high road in S. Hero VT) has her (ware)housed with carte blanche to the "doctors". Even the pharmacy supplying the drugs did NO interaction evaluation as I did and had a PhD reasearch pharmacologist friend do. And gee whiz! no speech therapy or neuro care for a woman with expressive aphasia...

Of course I am in favor of natural health, and certainly in psychiatry there are many ways to help people with nutrition, orthomolecular medicine and less damaging treatments.

I recall being chastised as a new grad when I went to work in Philadelphia's premier psych hospital for refusing to participate in ECT for patients. Well it happened that I worte a college sociology paper that develed into the risks and hazards of ECT for which I received the only A in the calss that semester. Biased, yes!

Well I stumbled on a blog here abouts written by a questioning psychiatrist. He pushes drugs but maybe I can get him to be more open over time with a little nudging.

Be that as it may, I like some of what he has to say on his BLOG, so here it is.

Read more »

More vaccine problems reported

It is clearly important to get very well educated on the subject of vaccines and reactions to their ingredients in order to protect your health and the health of your children.

New Jersey's governor should be paying more attention!

Alberta Health halts mumps inoculations
The Canadian Press

December 12, 2007

Edmonton -- Alberta has suspended its campaign to vaccinate young people against mumps because of severe allergic reactions to the vaccine.

Learn more about how vaccines are manufacturerd

Read more »

CHG Favorites of the Week

Blog of the Week
Stop the Ride
Consistently charming and informative, Stephanie’s blog has been bringing crafty, cookingy goodness to the web since August of last year. Her ideas are nifty, I really like the writing, and the adorable pictures take the cake.

Food Comedy of the Week
Improv Everywhere - The Moebius
I.E. is a gang of New York-based improvisational comedians that orchestrates funny twists on everyday situations. (“We create scenes.”) Sometimes, they’ll have 70 guys take off their shirts in Abercrombie and Fitch. Other times, they’ll dress up as U2 and put on a rooftop show for thousands of fans. In The Moebius, they invade a Starbucks and awesomeness results.

Organization of the Week
The Food Trust’s Supermarket Campaign
I just wrote about this yesterday, but it’s really worth looking into. And they take donations! Yay!

Quote of the Week
"Sir, respect your dinner: idolize it, enjoy it properly. You will be many hours in the week, many weeks in the year, and many years in your life happier if you do." - William Makepeace Thackeray

Tip of the Week
Need to figure out a supermarket unit price, but don’t have a calculator handy? Take out your cell phone. Lots of models include a calculator in the Tools section.

Untried Cheap, Healthy Recipe of the Week
Tom Colicchio’s Pan Roasted Mushrooms from Serious Eats
Okay, the oil and butter need to be halved here, but I think it would taste just as good. Big ups to the bald man.

Video of the Week (Food Division)
“Green Onions” by Booker T. and the MGs
An instrumental ode to scallions featuring that grooviest of ‘60s music-makers: the organ.

(Image courtesy of Flickr.com contributor pieceoflace.)

Read more »

Posted in: Links

Total Dis-Satisfaction, almost

While a very large percentage of Americans are unhappy with health care, many Canadians report the same discontent. And this are looming to get worse as more power is handed over by the current administration to pharmaceutical and insurance companies.

In case you didn't know, the mega industries of insurance and pharmaceuticals spent billions to keep the status quo in their hands, and many are coming to realize this. Our decades long campign is finally reaching mainstream.

On top of patient dissatisfaction, many docotrs claim they would not shode certain of the same treatments they push on patients, most often without offering the required explanations.

"Indeed, patients in the United States are less trusting of their doctors than they were even five years ago. According to a 2004 poll by the Kaiser Foundation, nearly half of all consumers worry about the safety of their health care. More than half (55 percent) also say they are dissatisfied with the overall quality of health care in this country – up from 44 percent who reported the same complaint in a survey conducted in 2000. Of those who have chronic illness, 66 percent are dissatisfied with their healthcare.

Grotte believes that poor communication skills and a habit of using fear to motivate patients is responsible for some of this situation. In addition, he believes many doctors don't even realize the negative effects that result from using fear tactics."

Many Americans Dissatisfied With Their Medical Care
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Nov. 1 -- Although the United States spends more than twice as much on health care as other western countries, many Americans say they are forced to forgo care because of costs, experience more medical errors, and say the health-care system needs to be overhauled, a new survey finds.

U.S. patients also have the highest out-of-pocket costs and the most difficulty paying medical bills, according to the survey of seven countries conducted by The Commonwealth Fund.

And U.S. and Canadians are least likely to be able to get a same-day appointment with their doctors and are more likely to go to emergency rooms for immediate care, the survey found.

"It's easy to say that we have the best health system in the world, but it's really important to look at the evidence to see what the data show," Karen Davis, Commonwealth Fund president, said during a teleconference Wednesday.

"We are certainly the most expensive health-care system," Davis said. "What these surveys have shown year after year is that patients in the U.S. experience more problems with access to care because of costs," she said.

The report, Toward Higher Performance Health Systems: Adults' Views and Experiences With Primary Care, Care Coordination and Safety in Seven Countries, 2007, is published in the Nov. 1 online issue of Health Affairs.

For the survey, Commonwealth Fund researchers were led by Cathy Schoen, fund vice president and research director of its Commission on a High Performance Health System. They surveyed 12,000 adults in Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States about their health-care systems.

"Despite spending that leads the world, U.S. adults, for the most part, are likely to go without needed care because of costs, to report medical errors when sick, and to encounter high out-of-pocket costs and struggle to pay their medical bills," Schoen said during the teleconference.

Schoen's team found that one third of U.S. adults said the health-care system needed rebuilding, which was the highest rate in any country. In addition to costs, U.S. patients said they received more fragmented and inefficient care, including medical record and test delays, and more time wasted on paperwork, compared with patients in other countries. "Both low- and high-income patients expressed these views," Schoen said.

U.S. patients also said they had the highest rates of lab test errors and some of the highest rates of medical or medication errors. These errors were highest among patients seeing multiple doctors or with multiple chronic illnesses, Schoen said. In the United States, one-third of patients who had chronic conditions reported a medical, medication, or test error in the last two years.

Many U.S. adults also said they were likely to go without care because of costs. Thirty-seven percent of all U.S. adults and 42 percent of those with chronic conditions said cost had kept them from taking prescribed medications, seeing a doctor when sick, or receiving recommended care last year. These rates were far higher than all other countries, Schoen noted.

Patients in Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom rarely reported not getting needed medical care because of costs, the survey found.

"The Netherlands stands out for strong positive endorsement of their health-care system -- confidence in care, quality and safety, and access to the latest technology," Schoen said. "The Netherlands also stands out with low concern with access due to cost, as do Canada and the U.K.," she added.

Moreover, one-fifth of patients in the United States said they had serious problems paying medical bills. That was more than double the rate in the next highest country. In addition, 30 percent of American patients spent more than $1,000 in the last year on out-of-pocket medical expenses.

The survey also found that patients gave the highest grades to health-care systems in which people had one doctor in charge of their medical care. But, across all the countries surveyed, only 45 percent to 61 percent of adults said they had a primary source of care, sometimes called a "medical home." In the United States, only 26 percent of uninsured patients had a medical home, compared with 53 percent of insured adults under 65, the researchers found.

One expert said the survey revealed -- once again -- the shortcomings of the U.S. health-care system.

"Comparing the U.S. health-care system to other industrialized countries is not for the faint of heart. The deficiencies in the U.S. system are painfully evident in every such study, and this one is no exception," said Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University School of Medicine's Prevention Research Center. "We manage to spend more on less efficient health care than any country in the world."

The real message from this survey is not about countries or health-care systems, but people, Katz said.

"What seems to predict better care, better outcomes, and more patient satisfaction is the most fundamental aspect of care there is -- a caring relationship. Patients with a health-care provider they know and trust and can rely on and call their own have a better health-care experience," he said.

SOURCES: Oct. 31, 2007, teleconference with Karen Davis, president, The Commonwealth Fund, and Cathy Schoen, vice president and research director, Commission on a High Performance Health System, The Commonwealth Fund, New York City; David Katz, M.D., M.P.H., director, Prevention Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.; Nov. 1, 2007, Health Affairs, online

Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

And see who else is just saying 'no'.

75% OF THE PHYSICIANS REFUSES CHEMOTHERAPY THEMSELVES

Read more »