Can Herbal Remedies Be Dangerous?

The production and advertising of herbal supplements is a huge business. It is not supervised or monitored by the FDA; therefore, it is a matter of buyer beware. Do you take one or more herbal remedies? Have you ever questioned whether that pill or drink is perfectly safe to put into your body?It may not be and we are now learning that in some cases supplements may be dangerous.

For example a new review reported that the proportion of all drug related liver injuries that could be attributed to supplements has risen from 7% in 2004 to about 20%. Body building formulas and weight loss products accounted for about half of the cases of liver damage. Various other supplements accounted for the other half.

It is very tempting to pop a pill to treat a problem or to reach a goal. Do some research first and make certain that the risk is not greater than the benefit.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Eating Cheese May Be Healthy

In the topsy turvy world of nutrition what is unhealthy today may be healthy tomorrow. It seems that this may be the true for eating cheese. For many years eating cheese has been a no no because cheeses are loaded with saturated fats. This perception has changed recently with the understanding that the primary health menace is sugar not saturated fat.

In fact it is now thought that there are some health benefits from eating cheese in moderation. For example several recent studies have linked to either no increase in cardiovascular disease or even a lower risk. Some studies suggest that cheese may help keep blood sugar in check. Other studies suggest that eating cheese may have an anti-cancer effect. This is especially True for colon cancer.

The bottom line is that the jury is still out on some of these claims, but eating cheese can be part of a healthy diet when the eating is in moderation.

Do Your Tomatoes Lack Flavor?

If you store your tomatoes in a refrigerator you may not be aware that you are losing flavor daily. In fact a recent scientific study  found that keeping tomatoes below 56 degrees F reduced the expression of several genes involved in the synthesis of flavor imparting compounds.

The take home message is that if you do not refrigerate your tomatoes they will taste better but not last as long.

Another Reason To Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Every once in awhile we come across an article that delights us even though we do not understand the science that validates the conclusion. The conclusion of this study was that eating more fruits and vegetables may make you happier. The report was based on the observations on more than 12,000 people.

It was found that life satisfaction and happiness increased with each daily serving of produce. These findings are consitent with our belief that feeding our bodies healthy nutrients is one of the keys to better health. We never suspected that healthy eating was also a key ingredient for finding life satisfaction and happiness.

Think of this when you take your next bite of a snickers bar. Perhaps you should be snacking with an apple or some grapes.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Does A Low BMR Mean More Weight Gain?

Here is a study from the Mayo Clinic that makes no sense to us. They reported on the BMR of 757 volunteers and compared changes in their weight over the next ten years. They found that the people with the lowest BMR did not gain more weight than those with the highest even though they burned 500 calories less a day than those with the highest BMRs

These findings are so unusual that they wave red flags for us. It would be expected that the lower the BMR the greater the weight gain. It is obvious to us that there were uncontrolled variables such as diet and exercise habits of the volunteers. Even more perplexing to us is why the Mayo Clinic would allow an incomplete and misleading study like this pass their editorial board.

To learn more about  your body's metabolism look at our book Live Longer Live Healthier.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Do You Have Bad Knees?

What should you do to improve your knee function if you have osteoarthritis? The answer, of course, is to exercise more and to concentrate on strengthening your quadriceps muscles. These are the muscles on the front of the thighs that help extend the lower leg and stabilize the knee. We jave been preaching this in our books, but this point was hammered home by a new analysis of more than 8,000 people with knee arthritis. It was found that those with weak quads had worse symptoms and increased functional decline compared to those with stronger muscles.

Strengthen the muscles and improve the symptoms. This is true for the knees as well as other parts of the body.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Another Reason To Get The Flu Vaccine

Of course we get the flu vaccine for its protection against catching the flu.  It also seems as though there are secondary benefits that go beyond the primary intent. For example people who get the flu vaccine are at reduced risk for developing atrial fibrillation.

This was the finding of a Taiwanese study of more than 11,000 people with a-fib to a comparable group without the condition. We are firm believers in the value of vaccination to prevent the disease. Additional benefits such as this are intriguing and add to the value of the vaccine.

Have you had your flu vaccine this year?