Should You Use Tanning Beds?

Do you yearn for a golden suntan? Are you devoted to indoor tanning salons sand tanning beds? The American Suntanning Association that represents 14,000 tanning saloon owners has hired a public relations agency and a lobbying firm to lure you on to their tanning beds. Their mission is to expand the sales of the multi billion dollar tanning bed industry. They do it with false claims that the tanning beds are not only safe but also that they will boost your mood, relieve joint pain, reduce cellulite and even make your skin look younger.

The truth is tanning beds and sunlamps are dangerous. The International Agency for Research on Cancer listed UV-emitting tanning devices as "carcinogenic to humans" This is the highest cancer risk category on par with cigarettes and asbestos. In fact those who start using sunlamps and tanning bags before age 30 increase their risk for melanoma by 75%

We strongly urge you to avoid indoor tanning and to use a safe and effective sunless tanning product if you must have that "golden tan"

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

There Are Good Fats And Bad Fats

It doesn't take a leap of imagination to assume that if you eat fat it will make you fat. After all fat has more than twice the number of calories per gram than carbohydrates or protein. As the old saying goes "you are what you eat." Furthermore it is an easy step to assume that the fats that float through your blood stream and clog your blood vessels come from the fats that you eat.

However when the numbers are crunched by statisticians it is not possible to verify a connection between eating saturated fat and cardiovascular disease. It is true that saturated fat raises the level of LDL cholesterol levels that are associated with higher rates of heart disease, but they also raise the level of HDL, the good cholesterol. HDL flows through your body and removes LDL from the walls of your blood vessels. Since saturated fat raises the levels of both LDL and HDL it's influence is probably a dietary wash.

In addition it seems as though there are two different LDL particles. Some are small and dense while others are larger and fluffy. The large ones are mostly harmless. Ingesting saturated fat raises the levels of these larger particles. What most people do not realize is that eating Carbs will raise the level of the small sticky particles that are linked to heart disease.

This new information does mean that you should go out and eat more double cheeseburgers or other foods high in saturated fat. It does mean that you should explore the options of eating foods that are high in other fats that are heart healthy. That topic is the subject of our next blog.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

The Fat Story Continued

The anti fat message not only went mainstream, but became so embedded in modern medicine and nutrition that it was almost impossible for scientists with contrary opinions to publish research. This began to change when Dr. Walter Willett published the results  of a very important study. His team followed the diets and heart health of more than 40,000 middle aged men. They found that if subjects replaced foods high in saturated fats with carbohydrates, there was no reduction in heart disease.

Partly because of this study a gradual change began in the way that people thought about fat. An awareness of the importance of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in a healthy diet developed, and the Mediterranean diet became accepted even though it was high in total fat.

The story continues as we explore the truth about saturated fat in the next blog.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Are All Dietary Fats Bad For You?

Don't eat fats!

in the 1950s this was the message that resounded in our homes and offices. Ancel Keys, a physiologist, informed the world that dietary fat was responsible for clogging arteries. His landmark study found that people who ate a diet low in saturated fat had a lower incidence of heart disease than those in western countries who ate a fat heavy diet.

Keyes stated that Americans must reduce the fat calories in their diets by a third if they wanted to avoid heart disease. Reducing fat calories also seemed to make sense for weight control since fat contains more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates. It seemed to make sense that if you reduced the fat calories in yours diet you would not only lose weight but would also minimize the possibility of developing heart disease.

Even though his research and conclusions were flawed, his message went mainstream and became imbedded in modern medicine and nutrition. Almost all of us drank less whole milk. eat less beef. fewer eggs and replaced butter with margarine.

How has this changed?  That will be discussed in future blogs.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Why Use Coconut Palm Sugar?

If you are a follower of Dr. Oz (our least favorite and often least reliable source of medical information) you may have raced to the nearest store to buy one of the most expensive sugars available.

It has been stated by some that coconut palm sugar is the best new sugar. It is claimed that it is highly nutritious and better for you than white sugar because coconut sugar will help in weight loss and that it may protect against cancer, heart disease and obesity. These are empty claims and we have found no valid scientific evidence to support them.

 It is our opinion that sugar is not a health food. This is true regardless of the source. All sugars provide empty calories and should be consumed in limited amounts. Of course it is your choice if you want to try coconut sugar because you like the taste and don't mind paying the price.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Does Smoking Make Back Pain Worse?

Do you smoke? Do you have acute or chronic back pain? Consider this. We are talking about a complication of smoking that you may heave never heard of. Smoking can cause back pain and it can aggravate chronic back pain.

A study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery included over 5,000 people who were treated for spinal disorders. Smokers who stopped before or after the treatment period reported greater improvement than those who continued to smoke.  In fact those who continued to smoke had no significant reduction in pain while those who never smoked improved the most.

The reason for the quicker recovery and the reduction of pain in the non smokers is thought to be that smoking increases inflammation and decreases blood flow and nutrient distribution to the spinal discs.  Previous research has  linked smoking to chronic pain disorders and especially back pain.

Do you still smoke? Do you need another reason to stop smoking? Hopefully not but if you do think of your aching back.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net

Grapefruit Can Be A Problem

Did you know that eating one whole grapefruit or drinking about 6 ounces of juice can alter the efficacy of many prescribed medications. This includes such favorites as cholesterol-lowering statins, anti-histamines,antidepressants, calcium channel blockers and some HIV drugs. This interaction was first reported 20 years ago and currently about 85 drugs are potentially affected.

The problem with grapefruit, as well as Seville oranges, pomelos and limes, is that some substances found in the juice inhibit an enzyme found in the intestines and liver that aids in metabolizing the drugs. The result of this inhibition is that you end up with a higher level of the active ingredient in your bloodstream. This can lead to adverse effects such as acute kidney failure, heart problems, kidney failure, trouble breathing and gastrointestinal bleeding.

This interaction occurs quickly and can last 24 hours or longer. The effects vary from person to person, but older people are at higher risk. The danger is also greater for drugs that have little forgiveness if the dose is off by even the slightest amount.

The bottom line if you take a prescription medication is to check with your health care professional. before consuming grapefruit or other juices mentioned above.  If there is an interaction and if you want to stay out of trouble stop drinking grapefruit juice.  Try orange or tangerine juice instead.

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net