The effects of stress on people you know and love can be devastating. They may be devastating to you.
Ask any Vietnam Vet and you will come to know what the effects of chronic stress are on people. Many blame Agent Orange for the large number of deaths after the war (more than during the war as a matter of fact).
I would tell you from my experience it is more likely to be posttraumatic stress disorder.
Now admittedly that is an extreme case that many of us may not directly relate to, but I assure you stress and how it's handled plays a big role in the aging process.
The goal is to restore balance in your life and achieve some degree of stability or I promise you stress will add to your early demise.
In scientific terms you want to avoid the chronic ongoing activation of your nervous system.
Just so we are clear I am talking about 3 different nervous systems, the voluntary one that we use to speak and move and act out our daily lives and the automatic one.
For you science buffs the automatic nervous system is called the autonomic nervous system and consists of 2 branches, an excitatory one (sympathetic) and a calming one (parasympathetic).
If you understand those words you already know I am simplifying things a lot here but you get the point.
The automatic one is responsible for our eyes adjusting in the dark, our heart rates, our blood pressures our breathing rates and so on.
But stress goes much farther than our nerves. It affects the secretion of hormones from our brain, our guts and our adrenal glands and it affects the way our individual cells respond to them.
If affects our risk of heart attack, stroke and probably cancer too. It also directly affects our immune system.
How often have you heard these two stories?
Someone is burning the candle at both ends trying to meet some kind of deadline and after weeks or months of this lifestyle they find themselves chronically sick with every cough, cold and snivel that is out there.
Or the opposite end of the same spectrum. Someone is cranking along to the max for a long time and then they go on vacation. Suddenly, after months of being well in the face of tons of stress, they fall apart and get sick as a dog when they are on a break.
In each case we are seeing the effects of the immune system.
In case one you have the traditional "adrenal burnout syndrome".
Here the person has tapped into their resources to the point where there just ain't no more to give and they get sick.
In reality it may be the body's way of protecting them as they were at the end of their proverbial rope biologically.
In the later case, this person was holding everything at bay. Like the little Dutch Boy they had their biochemical fingers in the dike and when they pulled them out (went on vacation) the dike collapsed and gave them a much needed rest.
From a supplement point of view almost everything I make has anti-stress properties.
But less than half of you are taking everything I make so let me give you some simple guidelines.
First and foremost you cannot escape the need to sleep for very long. You can get away with a night or two here or there if you are in good physical shape and get the right nutrition but that is about it.
There have been times in my career where I have deliberately taken Sleep Wizard even though I wasn't having a sleep problem.
You see after years of staying up late and going on little sleep it comes naturally to me.
So sometimes I pop a Sleep Wiz so I do not get into the cycle of going on too many nights without sleep.
It always works to reset my clock and make me far more effective than if I had persevered and gone on too little sleep.
Always.
So let me remind you that nothing fights stress like a good night's sleep and nothing delivers a good night's sleep like Sleep Wizard.
Just think, you can skip the Nocturnal Eating disorder, weight gain, amnesia and buttered cigarettes associated with prescription drugs.
I would also make sure you get a good daily dose of fish oil or Super Omega 3 and Monster multi especially if your eating habits suffer as well during times of stress.
That never happens to you, right?!
So the next time the unending to-do lists, lack of time, disintegration of social fabric, work stress and family stress get you down...
...Open up your cupboard. If you see Dr Dave's Best there, all you need to do is remember to take them daily as this young lady did.
"Doc, you might not think summer is stressful but for me it's the toughest time of the year. There is more outside work, vacation planning and of course I have my kids home from school. All of this and I feel compelled to have a good time because it's so beautiful, warm and sunny.
I have to admit I wasn't taking your vitamins regularly and I let one or two lapse. Well I decided to get back on a daily routine and I have to tell you after 2 or 3 weeks I feel like I am much calmer and have more control in my life.
I am looking forward to this season because I know I can get stuff done without being stressed.
I take your fish oil, Monster multi and Sleep Wizard. I love them all but sleep Wizard is like a miracle drug.
Thanks for such amazing products."
Gayle S. - Burlington
I love 'em too, Gayle, couldn't do without 'em.
Tomorrow we'll dig a bit deeper into the mind body connections and how to set them to right.
Let's make this the best summer ever!
Yours,
Dr Dave
Supplements mentioned in this blog:
Monster Multi
Fish Oil
Super omega 3
Sleep Wizard
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Monday, May 29, 2006
Don't Blame the soldiers and don't forget the soldiers
As I stand here in the cemetery looking out over the rows of graves with the Veteran's Star on them I am reminded of a big field of wheat.
So many markers, so many headstones, so many stars.
So many lives that were altered or cut short by war.
So many stalks of wheat cut down in their prime.
Some came home to a grateful public.
Some came home to an indifferent or hostile public.
Some had a choice to serve and protect; many went because of their sense of duty.
Whether you agree with the wars of the past and present, remember the soldiers.
Like so many pawns on a deadly chess field they marched out to an uncertain future and many paid the ultimate price.
Most did it for their loved ones and the land they loved.
Patriotism seems dangerous and unfashionable these days doesn't it.
In my nearly 50 years I have never see a country so ready to abandon and forget the principles that made it great.
We are so sophisticated and jaded that we believe that our leaders all lie to us.
And they have done little to assuage our fears.
Yet down through the centuries men and women have gone to the far corners of the earth to do the bidding of their country's elected leaders.
While other countries languish in the middle ages of warlord style governments we continue to prosper and be free.
Millions still come or try to come to our shores for that singular promise of freedom.
All I can say to you is freedom is not free, and it never will be. It is my sincerest prayer that our leaders use our resources both human and material wisely.
Not too long ago I was wandering in one of the many places where newly developed homes meet centuries old farmlands.
Yes, even in my previously rural area "civilization" encroaches.
As I tracked through the forest following a creek that disappears and reappears from the ground over and over again as it winds its way to its mother river I came across a small stone enclosed grave yard.
In this area of the country it is customary for families to stay on their farm land for centuries. They bury their dead from each generation there in small family plots.
You still see them dot the country side and sometimes they sit in the middle of a development.
That breaks my heart.
This one still remains hidden in the woods of what was obviously once a big farm owned by one family.
I was drawn to the little graveyard and entered only to find I was standing on fallen head stones that were faded to the point of being illegible.
Some dated back to the late 1600's.
They were probably not in English either as far as I could tell.
There amongst the surprising number of head stones was a marker for one young man. He had given his life for his country in the Revolutionary War.
Every time I think I have it hard I wander out to this solitary place and I am reminded of the sacrifices that millions of men and women have made for centuries so that I can walk in peace.
May it always be so.
Remember our soldiers both live and dead.
So many stalks of wheat.
And don't forget to tell them all "Thank you!"
Best in a Happy Memorial Day,
Dr Dave
So many markers, so many headstones, so many stars.
So many lives that were altered or cut short by war.
So many stalks of wheat cut down in their prime.
Some came home to a grateful public.
Some came home to an indifferent or hostile public.
Some had a choice to serve and protect; many went because of their sense of duty.
Whether you agree with the wars of the past and present, remember the soldiers.
Like so many pawns on a deadly chess field they marched out to an uncertain future and many paid the ultimate price.
Most did it for their loved ones and the land they loved.
Patriotism seems dangerous and unfashionable these days doesn't it.
In my nearly 50 years I have never see a country so ready to abandon and forget the principles that made it great.
We are so sophisticated and jaded that we believe that our leaders all lie to us.
And they have done little to assuage our fears.
Yet down through the centuries men and women have gone to the far corners of the earth to do the bidding of their country's elected leaders.
While other countries languish in the middle ages of warlord style governments we continue to prosper and be free.
Millions still come or try to come to our shores for that singular promise of freedom.
All I can say to you is freedom is not free, and it never will be. It is my sincerest prayer that our leaders use our resources both human and material wisely.
Not too long ago I was wandering in one of the many places where newly developed homes meet centuries old farmlands.
Yes, even in my previously rural area "civilization" encroaches.
As I tracked through the forest following a creek that disappears and reappears from the ground over and over again as it winds its way to its mother river I came across a small stone enclosed grave yard.
In this area of the country it is customary for families to stay on their farm land for centuries. They bury their dead from each generation there in small family plots.
You still see them dot the country side and sometimes they sit in the middle of a development.
That breaks my heart.
This one still remains hidden in the woods of what was obviously once a big farm owned by one family.
I was drawn to the little graveyard and entered only to find I was standing on fallen head stones that were faded to the point of being illegible.
Some dated back to the late 1600's.
They were probably not in English either as far as I could tell.
There amongst the surprising number of head stones was a marker for one young man. He had given his life for his country in the Revolutionary War.
Every time I think I have it hard I wander out to this solitary place and I am reminded of the sacrifices that millions of men and women have made for centuries so that I can walk in peace.
May it always be so.
Remember our soldiers both live and dead.
So many stalks of wheat.
And don't forget to tell them all "Thank you!"
Best in a Happy Memorial Day,
Dr Dave
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Fabulous belly fat burner discovered
One Question I get a lot is "How can I reduce my abdominal fat, and do supplements help with this?"
Here is a recent email that asks that very question.
"Dr Dave, About a year ago you had a combo deal on Regenerizer and Fish Oil. The email detailed the use of both of your products to burn fat and aid in weight loss as per your experience. There was also a pretty complicated explanation of how it worked. Well I bought the stuff and dropped over 20lbs. I am certain it helped because I never lost that much fat weight in such a short period of time. Unfortunately I moved got off your list and stopped using the product. My bad! Do you still offer that combo or will you do that again and what can I do to help myself now? What supplements do you recommend?"
Dean Whitaker
Pittstown, Ohio
Dean is referring to last years May 10th email which is listed below.
So do supplements work?
I have no doubt that they do as I have seen some drastic weight and fat reductions with my Fish Oil, Regenerizer and of course Instant Endurance which when coupled with exercise allows people to workout longer and harder without fatigue and soreness.
I've included links to 3 of the many articles I've written on the topic.
Some of those articles refer to Fish oil alone, some of them refer to the combination of Regenerizer and fish oil.
Why?
Because they both work together and they both work independently to aid people in curbing appetite and reducing weight and fat in my experience.
We expect to have a small amount of Regenerizer left over for sale after the back orders are met.
But you can still do pretty well with fish oil alone if you don't want to weight (oops!).
Now the FTC is all over weight loss claims so I can't say a whole lot more than that but I can point you to the testimonials pages where you will see some before and after pics of some very happy thinner people.
For example last Saturday I sent out an html email with before and after pics of a great guy and a happy customer Jamie Clark who dropped some serious weight and lost some serious gut.
Most of you never saw that email.
How do I know?
Well do you remember the email earlier this week "Learning to Speak Spamish"?
Turns out that most spam filters nail html (pictures images etc) emails before they even get to where they are going.
Result, less than 10% of the list got or opened this one.
I hope to have it posted on the site soon if I can get my webmaster, Jabba to pay attention to what I am telling him.
In the meantime there is yet another study that shows that Fish Oil is an integral part of any weight loss program.
The people involved were:
#1 Fat
#2 Unfit
#3 Had diabetes or insulin resistance, the precursor to it.
#4 Had high blood pressure, and high blood fat levels to begin with
In other words they were not exactly pictures of health.
This group was placed on fish oil and given moderate exercise only 3X a week.
The researchers themselves did not expect much because this group was so bad off to begin with.
Sometimes it pays not to reinvent the wheel so I am just going to directly quote the article by Dr Howe in the Medical Post (link in reference section):
"The results showed that the total proportion of fat in the body, particularly in the abdominal region, was reduced significantly in the FOX (fish oil & exercise) group
Amazing results in only 3 months! Dr. Howe also states that "omega-3 protects blood vessel walls by increasing their elasticity and improving endothelial dilation, enabling increased delivery of nutrients to exercising muscles." This makes me wonder what the effect of fish oil is on building muscle mass when combined with strength training. If you're trying to lose weight, don't just exercise, take fish oil too!"
I couldn't have said it better.
This is not the first article of its kind and it won't be the last so I guess technically it's not a discovery.
But a lot of people don't know about it at all.
Time to try the Fabulous Fat Burner, Dr Dave's Best, Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil. Get in shape for summer!
Throw in some Instant Einstein and you'll be both smarter and thinner.
All the Best from the King of Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil,
Dr Dave
Here is a recent email that asks that very question.
"Dr Dave, About a year ago you had a combo deal on Regenerizer and Fish Oil. The email detailed the use of both of your products to burn fat and aid in weight loss as per your experience. There was also a pretty complicated explanation of how it worked. Well I bought the stuff and dropped over 20lbs. I am certain it helped because I never lost that much fat weight in such a short period of time. Unfortunately I moved got off your list and stopped using the product. My bad! Do you still offer that combo or will you do that again and what can I do to help myself now? What supplements do you recommend?"
Dean Whitaker
Pittstown, Ohio
Dean is referring to last years May 10th email which is listed below.
So do supplements work?
I have no doubt that they do as I have seen some drastic weight and fat reductions with my Fish Oil, Regenerizer and of course Instant Endurance which when coupled with exercise allows people to workout longer and harder without fatigue and soreness.
I've included links to 3 of the many articles I've written on the topic.
Some of those articles refer to Fish oil alone, some of them refer to the combination of Regenerizer and fish oil.
Why?
Because they both work together and they both work independently to aid people in curbing appetite and reducing weight and fat in my experience.
We expect to have a small amount of Regenerizer left over for sale after the back orders are met.
But you can still do pretty well with fish oil alone if you don't want to weight (oops!).
Now the FTC is all over weight loss claims so I can't say a whole lot more than that but I can point you to the testimonials pages where you will see some before and after pics of some very happy thinner people.
For example last Saturday I sent out an html email with before and after pics of a great guy and a happy customer Jamie Clark who dropped some serious weight and lost some serious gut.
Most of you never saw that email.
How do I know?
Well do you remember the email earlier this week "Learning to Speak Spamish"?
Turns out that most spam filters nail html (pictures images etc) emails before they even get to where they are going.
Result, less than 10% of the list got or opened this one.
I hope to have it posted on the site soon if I can get my webmaster, Jabba to pay attention to what I am telling him.
In the meantime there is yet another study that shows that Fish Oil is an integral part of any weight loss program.
The people involved were:
#1 Fat
#2 Unfit
#3 Had diabetes or insulin resistance, the precursor to it.
#4 Had high blood pressure, and high blood fat levels to begin with
In other words they were not exactly pictures of health.
This group was placed on fish oil and given moderate exercise only 3X a week.
The researchers themselves did not expect much because this group was so bad off to begin with.
Sometimes it pays not to reinvent the wheel so I am just going to directly quote the article by Dr Howe in the Medical Post (link in reference section):
"The results showed that the total proportion of fat in the body, particularly in the abdominal region, was reduced significantly in the FOX (fish oil & exercise) group
Amazing results in only 3 months! Dr. Howe also states that "omega-3 protects blood vessel walls by increasing their elasticity and improving endothelial dilation, enabling increased delivery of nutrients to exercising muscles." This makes me wonder what the effect of fish oil is on building muscle mass when combined with strength training. If you're trying to lose weight, don't just exercise, take fish oil too!"
I couldn't have said it better.
This is not the first article of its kind and it won't be the last so I guess technically it's not a discovery.
But a lot of people don't know about it at all.
Time to try the Fabulous Fat Burner, Dr Dave's Best, Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil. Get in shape for summer!
Throw in some Instant Einstein and you'll be both smarter and thinner.
All the Best from the King of Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil,
Dr Dave
Friday, May 26, 2006
Karma Catches The Runaway Bride
I decided to bring back the week in review a little early this week to make up for last week's late entry.
I was up pretty late last night burning the midnight oil, and just as I was putting the finishing touches finishing a very smooth Scotch (something I rarely do) I happened to catch this little item on the late night news.
Jennifer Wilbanks, the wacky runaway bride, and her fiancé (I won’t mention his name), are breaking up.
I really can’t believe he took her back in the first place, but that’s just me.
Dumb and Dumber were living together in an Atlanta suburb, and had just moved in to a large new home. According to some, they were talking about giving the wedding another go.
But finally, earlier this month, the fiancé said no to any wedding plans and hopefully the break is for food.
A friend was quoted as saying, “I think John realized that there were some fundamental differences in their personalities that he wasn’t going to be able
to deal with.”
Like maybe she is bonkers.
And he is a little slow on the uptake.
The runaway bride isn’t sure they have broken up for good. She isn’t confirming or denying the breakup.
At least that’s what she told People magazine.
Anyway, she’s been busy repaying $15K to the police and doing community service. She has picked up trash, cleaned state cars, cut grass and done office work.
So now she is, or isn’t, back in the market.
If you see her bug eyed picture on a dating service, just hit the delete key and order up some Instant Einstein like her fiancé should have when this whole thing went down the first time.
I’m going to send him the Hercules Factor so he can keep his spine erect, now that he has had a moment of clarity.
“Things are great,” she told People magazine, except for the runaway groom.
Here’s what I think: Go Forest Go! Run Forest! Attaboy Forest! Run Forest Run! This Jenny’s Not For You!
Supplements mentioned in this blog:
Instant Einstein
Hercules Factor
Single Malt Scotch
All the best,
Doc
Here was Lazlo's take on the whole thing:
Run run runaway and I will follow
Take my money and my car, my pride I'll swallow
I did my best to indulge your vanity
But now I think I'll chose sanity
I am tired of being a fool in front of all humanity
So here's the deal my love my lover true
There's a fundamental difference between me and you
Your bug eyed stare, it unnerves me
Your wacky behavior doesn't deserve me
So on my next date I'll wine and dine
And make sure I take 6 caps of Instant Einstein!
Lazlo B. Zilly 2006
I was up pretty late last night burning the midnight oil, and just as I was putting the finishing touches finishing a very smooth Scotch (something I rarely do) I happened to catch this little item on the late night news.
Jennifer Wilbanks, the wacky runaway bride, and her fiancé (I won’t mention his name), are breaking up.
I really can’t believe he took her back in the first place, but that’s just me.
Dumb and Dumber were living together in an Atlanta suburb, and had just moved in to a large new home. According to some, they were talking about giving the wedding another go.
But finally, earlier this month, the fiancé said no to any wedding plans and hopefully the break is for food.
A friend was quoted as saying, “I think John realized that there were some fundamental differences in their personalities that he wasn’t going to be able
to deal with.”
Like maybe she is bonkers.
And he is a little slow on the uptake.
The runaway bride isn’t sure they have broken up for good. She isn’t confirming or denying the breakup.
At least that’s what she told People magazine.
Anyway, she’s been busy repaying $15K to the police and doing community service. She has picked up trash, cleaned state cars, cut grass and done office work.
So now she is, or isn’t, back in the market.
If you see her bug eyed picture on a dating service, just hit the delete key and order up some Instant Einstein like her fiancé should have when this whole thing went down the first time.
I’m going to send him the Hercules Factor so he can keep his spine erect, now that he has had a moment of clarity.
“Things are great,” she told People magazine, except for the runaway groom.
Here’s what I think: Go Forest Go! Run Forest! Attaboy Forest! Run Forest Run! This Jenny’s Not For You!
Supplements mentioned in this blog:
Instant Einstein
Hercules Factor
Single Malt Scotch
All the best,
Doc
Here was Lazlo's take on the whole thing:
Run run runaway and I will follow
Take my money and my car, my pride I'll swallow
I did my best to indulge your vanity
But now I think I'll chose sanity
I am tired of being a fool in front of all humanity
So here's the deal my love my lover true
There's a fundamental difference between me and you
Your bug eyed stare, it unnerves me
Your wacky behavior doesn't deserve me
So on my next date I'll wine and dine
And make sure I take 6 caps of Instant Einstein!
Lazlo B. Zilly 2006
Thursday, May 25, 2006
A guaranteed way to lose your shirt and your eyesight
I have an interesting topic for today.
I want to tell you about a disease that has become the number one cause of blindness in this country and is continuing to rise in incidence.
Like most diseases of ageing this one requires action right now if you want to stop it.
If you wait, it will be too late.
The disease of the day, if you will, is also the disease of the next century and it is called Age Related Macular Degeneration or ARMD from here on.
ARMD knows no social, economic or religious boundaries. It strikes both men and woman and within 200 feet of where I live it is robbing the eyesight of one of my neighbors as we speak.
We'll call her Mrs. V.
She still does here daily tasks but is no longer comfortable with driving.
A widow, she is reliant on herself to do small repairs around the house, has started to have trouble with seeing well enough to cook from a recipe and is no longer able to play the piano.
Mrs. V. has become more dependent on her neighbors as time goes by and is now becoming more and more depressed.
Why? Because she was recently told she has ARMD in both eyes and is going blind.
I can tell you many more stories of this type and if I ever get around to writing down some copy for the product I designed to combat this awful disease, Pro Mac Young Eyes, I will share more of the problem with you.
In the meantime Mrs. V.'s Story will serve as a backdrop.
I am certain that if you asked around, someone in your family or that you know is also going blind from this problem.
As with all eye problems there are variations on this theme such as wet of dry ARMD and the structures of the eye have names that are not simple so I will spare you all of that.
Just understand that a lot of otherwise healthy people are going to go blind, and that this disease is almost as common as Alzheimer's and in its own way just as devastating.
No one knows exactly what causes it but as with much disease we don't have the luxury of waiting around while we figure stuff out.
The changes are happening in people's eye's right this minute.
What are the risk factors?
1) High Blood pressure
2) Smoking
3) Family history
4) Race (white most common)
5) Inflammation (general inflammatory state in the body)
6) Obesity
Now what has been shown to work?
1) Antioxidants
As with many disease of aging the process of "body rust" of oxidation seems to be at the direct cause of at least some of the damage associated with ARMD.
2) Zinc. Especially as the condition progresses, zinc seems to be an essential factor in slowing and/or preventing the illness from going further.
If you look at the ingredients in ProMac Young Eyes you will find the very potent Elderberry extract coupled with a large dose of co Q 10 and Acetyl L Carnitene which helps support repair of the eye tissues and the energetics of vision.
A lot of people asked me why I didn't do a more traditional formula with bilberry and Beta carotene.
The answer is simple.
I chose the ingredients in Pro Mac because they have been shown to work in studies and I don't think bilberry is powerful enough.
I wanted a more potent berry-derived antioxidant.
Also since smoking is a risk factor for ARMD and Beta Carotene has been linked to increase lung cancer, I thought it best to leave it out. After all some people who got lung cancer and took Beta Carotene supplements have sued over this.
I guess the tobacco companies don't pay enough these days!
Now I did add the standard high dose of Lutein and Zinc so you are covered there.
I should also mention that the Omega 3 fish oils play a critical role in keeping the eye healthy and in fighting off ARMD as well.
So when you order your Pro Mac don't forget to pick up a bottle of fish oil as well.
And if you want to be triply safe add in a bottle of Super Wrinkle Guard on top of it for all the extra anti-oxidant potency.
Super Wrinkle Guard is for more than wrinkles!
Oh yeah about that losing of one's shirt.
Here is the deal. Everyone I have ever talked to in the vitamin business discouraged me from making Pro Mac Young Eyes.
"You can't sell prevention!" they said.
"You'll lose your shirt, no one will buy a preventative supplement; they want immediate benefits!"
They may be right. Taking Pro Mac Young eyes and fish oil may not show you any immediate benefits in your eyes.
But down the road apiece when you need your eyesight the most, you'll be damn glad you did!
I simply could not sit by and let this problem go unanswered, especially since supplements seem to be the answer!
Protect you eyesight!
Protect your future.
All the best in beautiful clear vision,
Dr Dave
Supplements mentioned in this blog:
Fish Oil
Super Wrinkle Guard
Pro Mac Young Eyes
I want to tell you about a disease that has become the number one cause of blindness in this country and is continuing to rise in incidence.
Like most diseases of ageing this one requires action right now if you want to stop it.
If you wait, it will be too late.
The disease of the day, if you will, is also the disease of the next century and it is called Age Related Macular Degeneration or ARMD from here on.
ARMD knows no social, economic or religious boundaries. It strikes both men and woman and within 200 feet of where I live it is robbing the eyesight of one of my neighbors as we speak.
We'll call her Mrs. V.
She still does here daily tasks but is no longer comfortable with driving.
A widow, she is reliant on herself to do small repairs around the house, has started to have trouble with seeing well enough to cook from a recipe and is no longer able to play the piano.
Mrs. V. has become more dependent on her neighbors as time goes by and is now becoming more and more depressed.
Why? Because she was recently told she has ARMD in both eyes and is going blind.
I can tell you many more stories of this type and if I ever get around to writing down some copy for the product I designed to combat this awful disease, Pro Mac Young Eyes, I will share more of the problem with you.
In the meantime Mrs. V.'s Story will serve as a backdrop.
I am certain that if you asked around, someone in your family or that you know is also going blind from this problem.
As with all eye problems there are variations on this theme such as wet of dry ARMD and the structures of the eye have names that are not simple so I will spare you all of that.
Just understand that a lot of otherwise healthy people are going to go blind, and that this disease is almost as common as Alzheimer's and in its own way just as devastating.
No one knows exactly what causes it but as with much disease we don't have the luxury of waiting around while we figure stuff out.
The changes are happening in people's eye's right this minute.
What are the risk factors?
1) High Blood pressure
2) Smoking
3) Family history
4) Race (white most common)
5) Inflammation (general inflammatory state in the body)
6) Obesity
Now what has been shown to work?
1) Antioxidants
As with many disease of aging the process of "body rust" of oxidation seems to be at the direct cause of at least some of the damage associated with ARMD.
2) Zinc. Especially as the condition progresses, zinc seems to be an essential factor in slowing and/or preventing the illness from going further.
If you look at the ingredients in ProMac Young Eyes you will find the very potent Elderberry extract coupled with a large dose of co Q 10 and Acetyl L Carnitene which helps support repair of the eye tissues and the energetics of vision.
A lot of people asked me why I didn't do a more traditional formula with bilberry and Beta carotene.
The answer is simple.
I chose the ingredients in Pro Mac because they have been shown to work in studies and I don't think bilberry is powerful enough.
I wanted a more potent berry-derived antioxidant.
Also since smoking is a risk factor for ARMD and Beta Carotene has been linked to increase lung cancer, I thought it best to leave it out. After all some people who got lung cancer and took Beta Carotene supplements have sued over this.
I guess the tobacco companies don't pay enough these days!
Now I did add the standard high dose of Lutein and Zinc so you are covered there.
I should also mention that the Omega 3 fish oils play a critical role in keeping the eye healthy and in fighting off ARMD as well.
So when you order your Pro Mac don't forget to pick up a bottle of fish oil as well.
And if you want to be triply safe add in a bottle of Super Wrinkle Guard on top of it for all the extra anti-oxidant potency.
Super Wrinkle Guard is for more than wrinkles!
Oh yeah about that losing of one's shirt.
Here is the deal. Everyone I have ever talked to in the vitamin business discouraged me from making Pro Mac Young Eyes.
"You can't sell prevention!" they said.
"You'll lose your shirt, no one will buy a preventative supplement; they want immediate benefits!"
They may be right. Taking Pro Mac Young eyes and fish oil may not show you any immediate benefits in your eyes.
But down the road apiece when you need your eyesight the most, you'll be damn glad you did!
I simply could not sit by and let this problem go unanswered, especially since supplements seem to be the answer!
Protect you eyesight!
Protect your future.
All the best in beautiful clear vision,
Dr Dave
Supplements mentioned in this blog:
Fish Oil
Super Wrinkle Guard
Pro Mac Young Eyes
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Drugs and herbals; are they safe?
Ok, today I promised you a semiserious blog so we are going to look at the sobering side effects of combining some herbals or plants derived materials with drugs.
Over the past couple of months I have gotten a lot of questions about combining drugs, supplements and herbals.
The overwhelming number of times the answer is: "No one really knows"
There are 2 big reasons for this.
At this point modern medicine has only worked out the side effects profiles of combining 2 drugs at a time, not 5 or 6.
And having come from a traditional medical background I can tell you that 5 or 6 drugs is not at all uncommon.
The other reason is the FDA's approach to supplements. It could best be summed up as saying they are an annoying problem that we have neither time nor funds to deal with.
In other words they don't believe in lending any credibility to supplements. If they studied them at all this would be a tacit acknowledgement that they might actually work.
So let's look at what we do know.
The most dangerous situations occur when a person is taking the rat poison derived blood thinner Coumadin.
Doctors will tell you that everything interferes with Coumadin.
I will tell you that Coumadin interferes with everything.
Many plants and other vitamins such as Vitamin E, Fish oil, Garlic and others can actually thin the blood and should only be combined with any blood thinner (including aspirin) under a doctor’s direct supervision.
The problem is most docs don't know about supplements and don't want to add this burden to their already overburdened work and learning schedules.
Also, there are some misconceptions out there about and herbal and plant derived compound called Coumarol.
In most cases these herbally derived compounds do not have any blood thinning effects but because they are a distant cousin to Coumadin, journals will often make the association and say they do.
Whenever this has been studied it has not been the case.
For more on the topic of blood thinning supplements see my "under the knife" series:
Under the knife - Part 1
Under the knife - Part 2
Under the knife - Part 3
Supplements that heal - Under the knife - Part 4
There are of course times when the additive effect of supplements may be beneficial For instance my mom has been able to combine Cholesterol bomb with Lipitor for a greater effect.
Her doc is not comfortable taking her off the statin so she remains on the lowest possible dose, all the while running a cholesterol that would make a 20 year old jealous.
Similarly the supplements Gymnema, which will be one of the things in our upcoming diabetic supplement, and aloe juice both have the ability to lower blood sugars and can facilitate the use of less anti-diabetic drugs in people with Type 2 diabetes.
In the case of fish oil and Super Omega 3, which combine herbals with fish oil, many people have been able to reduce or stop their use of Tylenol or NSAIDS (Motrin like drugs) and trade the potential side effects of those drugs for the health benefits of the natural compounds.
Black tea, which is rich in tannins, can interfere with iron absorption but only if it is taken at the exact same time. Green tea does not appear to have this effect.
Grapefruit juice works on enzyme systems to block the effects of stain drugs and increase the effects of NSAIDS and some blood pressure drugs making it a potentially dangerous combination with either of these classes of drugs.
Even vegetables are not guiltless!
Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage can increase the metabolism (how fast the body gets rid of a drug) of anxiety drugs like Xanax and Tylenol making both less effective.
They can also increase the metabolism of caffeine so the next time you OD on coffee at work, grab a bag of broccoli florets and munch them down.
You'll be back to normal in no time.
Both orange juice and grapefruit juices can interfere with the metabolism of St. John's Wort and digoxin a drug used to strengthen the heart.
The have no effect on Co Q 10 absorption a supplement used to strengthen the heart and a mainstay of my Regenerizer.
To further complicate the issue, not all races of people have the same enzyme actions for drug metabolism. Most of the work done in this area is between Asian and Caucasian races but look for more work in the future for others as we strive to understand both the actions of drugs and supplements in different kinds of people.
For now, please understand this much.
I do tons of research with each and every compound that goes into each and every product.
I believe in the safety of my products and take every single one of them myself. I have family members who take my products as well even though they are on some drugs.
In most cases they have been able to reduce or remove the drugs completely.
You should not do this without the consent and understanding of your own personal doctor.
Happily I am getting more and more doctors on my reading list. They are busy people with big practices and need reliable information.
They come to me because this is my area of expertise.
They have other areas of expertise that I benefit from as well.
In the meantime, if we take care of our bodies most of us will not need toxic chemicals to keep us alive.
I make 10 different supplements with the expressed purpose of making that a reality!
Go to Dr Dave's Best - Product Order Page and pick the ones that meet your needs.
All the Best, Dr Dave
Supplements mentioned in this blog:
Cholesterol bomb
Regenerizer
fish oil
Super Omega 3
Over the past couple of months I have gotten a lot of questions about combining drugs, supplements and herbals.
The overwhelming number of times the answer is: "No one really knows"
There are 2 big reasons for this.
At this point modern medicine has only worked out the side effects profiles of combining 2 drugs at a time, not 5 or 6.
And having come from a traditional medical background I can tell you that 5 or 6 drugs is not at all uncommon.
The other reason is the FDA's approach to supplements. It could best be summed up as saying they are an annoying problem that we have neither time nor funds to deal with.
In other words they don't believe in lending any credibility to supplements. If they studied them at all this would be a tacit acknowledgement that they might actually work.
So let's look at what we do know.
The most dangerous situations occur when a person is taking the rat poison derived blood thinner Coumadin.
Doctors will tell you that everything interferes with Coumadin.
I will tell you that Coumadin interferes with everything.
Many plants and other vitamins such as Vitamin E, Fish oil, Garlic and others can actually thin the blood and should only be combined with any blood thinner (including aspirin) under a doctor’s direct supervision.
The problem is most docs don't know about supplements and don't want to add this burden to their already overburdened work and learning schedules.
Also, there are some misconceptions out there about and herbal and plant derived compound called Coumarol.
In most cases these herbally derived compounds do not have any blood thinning effects but because they are a distant cousin to Coumadin, journals will often make the association and say they do.
Whenever this has been studied it has not been the case.
For more on the topic of blood thinning supplements see my "under the knife" series:
Under the knife - Part 1
Under the knife - Part 2
Under the knife - Part 3
Supplements that heal - Under the knife - Part 4
There are of course times when the additive effect of supplements may be beneficial For instance my mom has been able to combine Cholesterol bomb with Lipitor for a greater effect.
Her doc is not comfortable taking her off the statin so she remains on the lowest possible dose, all the while running a cholesterol that would make a 20 year old jealous.
Similarly the supplements Gymnema, which will be one of the things in our upcoming diabetic supplement, and aloe juice both have the ability to lower blood sugars and can facilitate the use of less anti-diabetic drugs in people with Type 2 diabetes.
In the case of fish oil and Super Omega 3, which combine herbals with fish oil, many people have been able to reduce or stop their use of Tylenol or NSAIDS (Motrin like drugs) and trade the potential side effects of those drugs for the health benefits of the natural compounds.
Black tea, which is rich in tannins, can interfere with iron absorption but only if it is taken at the exact same time. Green tea does not appear to have this effect.
Grapefruit juice works on enzyme systems to block the effects of stain drugs and increase the effects of NSAIDS and some blood pressure drugs making it a potentially dangerous combination with either of these classes of drugs.
Even vegetables are not guiltless!
Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage can increase the metabolism (how fast the body gets rid of a drug) of anxiety drugs like Xanax and Tylenol making both less effective.
They can also increase the metabolism of caffeine so the next time you OD on coffee at work, grab a bag of broccoli florets and munch them down.
You'll be back to normal in no time.
Both orange juice and grapefruit juices can interfere with the metabolism of St. John's Wort and digoxin a drug used to strengthen the heart.
The have no effect on Co Q 10 absorption a supplement used to strengthen the heart and a mainstay of my Regenerizer.
To further complicate the issue, not all races of people have the same enzyme actions for drug metabolism. Most of the work done in this area is between Asian and Caucasian races but look for more work in the future for others as we strive to understand both the actions of drugs and supplements in different kinds of people.
For now, please understand this much.
I do tons of research with each and every compound that goes into each and every product.
I believe in the safety of my products and take every single one of them myself. I have family members who take my products as well even though they are on some drugs.
In most cases they have been able to reduce or remove the drugs completely.
You should not do this without the consent and understanding of your own personal doctor.
Happily I am getting more and more doctors on my reading list. They are busy people with big practices and need reliable information.
They come to me because this is my area of expertise.
They have other areas of expertise that I benefit from as well.
In the meantime, if we take care of our bodies most of us will not need toxic chemicals to keep us alive.
I make 10 different supplements with the expressed purpose of making that a reality!
Go to Dr Dave's Best - Product Order Page and pick the ones that meet your needs.
All the Best, Dr Dave
Supplements mentioned in this blog:
Cholesterol bomb
Regenerizer
fish oil
Super Omega 3
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Co Enzyme Q 10 and your heart
There are places in the world where the big Drug companies do not rule.
There are places where they do not have the most powerful and well-funded lobbies.
There are places where they do not own politicians and news media.
And there are places where all natural substances are put on an even playing field as drugs.
In such places doctors are well versed in the uses of vitamins, supplements, and minerals along side pharmaceuticals.
I hope to make the U.S. one of those places.
So today I cover one small area of the amazing supplement co Q 10.
First a little background.
Co Q 10 is one of the most important substances in the body. It is intimately involved with the generation of energy, using fat as fuel and critically important for all organs.
A few days ago I answered a question about resting metabolism with regards to weight loss.
I stated that the organs most responsible for resting metabolism were the brain, the heart, the kidney and the liver.
If you look at these organs you'll see that their cells are rich in mitochondria, the tiny little powerhouses that make energy for all cells.
So it is not too much of a stretch to see that Co Q, which lives inside the mitochondria, would be very important for their function.
But it's not just limited to there.
Even the eyes seem to benefit from Co Q 10. There are studies that show that Co Q protects from age related macular degeneration, which is why we loaded up our Pro Mac Young Eyes formulated with this critical substance.
But let's focus on just the heart and Co Q 10 or you'll be reading all day long.
When I first created Regenerizer, I made it for my patients who were taking statin drugs and in my opinion ran the risk of getting too low on Co Q.
While traditional medical authorities in this country turn a blind eye to this possibility (sound familiar?) in Canada, the use of Co Q 10 and statins is pretty much a law.
This is because statins are known to interfere with the manufacture of Co Q and this can lead to many problems in the very organ the statins are supposed to protect, the heart.
If you want an all natural compound designed to drop your cholesterol without statin side effects, you owe it to yourself to try Cholesterol Bomb.
Another thing you should know about Co q 10 is that it tends to decline in the mitochondria as we age.
This is one of the reasons thought to lead to the slowing down of older people. It can also be linked to movement disorders such as Parkinson's.
If however the heart gets weaker and slows down, then you have a situation called Congestive Heart Failure.
To be sure there is more heart failure than ever now. Most doctors say it is because of aging, and there is a multi drug cocktail designed to keep the heart pumping longer and stronger.
Multi drugs means multi side effects though as we have seen over and over again.
And I don't suppose they ever considered the decline in co Q as linked to the aging process.
Despite the resistance and a slew of negative articles published in the typical journals (like JAMA) there is more and more evidence to show that Co Q can benefit your heart.
Studies at the University of Texas at Austin showed that 75 percent of heart patients have severe deficiencies of Co Q 10 in heart tissue compared with healthy individuals. These are people who are not necessarily on statins either.
Adding coenzyme Q-10 significantly benefited three-fourths of a group of elderly patients with congestive heart failure.
In general the higher the doses used the better the results.
Common practice was to use 30 mg, the dose that is sold in most vitamin stores.
This of course is way too small to do much. But when you get up above 100mg, you really start to see some positive things in the strength of the heart's contraction, the volume of blood it pumps and even a reduction in heart pain know as angina.
This is why Regenerizer had to have 200mg.
At these doses you can see improvement in heart function and blood flow. The end result is improved performance on the treadmill.
When Co Q is removed from the treatment routine (even if there are prescription drugs on board) the person often relapses with symptoms of their disease.
In Japan and Italy Co Q is a prescription only and is among the top treatments for heart failure in these countries.
Big Pharma has a weaker toe hold there!
Co Q has even been shown to improve the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse, a common heart value condition in this country
Ok so now you know about Co Q and the heart. I haven't even touched on the brain, the kidneys and the liver; we'll save that for another time.
Remember Regenerizer has Co Q 10 in a dose of 200 mg a dose that I have not seen elsewhere in a supplement.
I have seen other doctors claim they have the highest dosage in their supplements at around 100 mg.
Someone should let them know!
But here is the important point.
As I moved away from my Internal Medicine practice and into the Anti-aging field I wanted to create something that would help healthy people achieve their performance goals and perhaps prevent them from ever having to deal with the problems of aging.
I can't make further claims or the FDA and the FTC will come knocking on my door with a pair of handcuffs.
But you can read what my Regenerizer users have said and decided for yourself.
Once you are done you want some for yourself too.
Regenerizer
All the best in health,
Dr Dave
Supplements mentioned in this blog:
Pro Mac Young Eyes
Regenerizer
Cholesterol Bomb
There are places where they do not have the most powerful and well-funded lobbies.
There are places where they do not own politicians and news media.
And there are places where all natural substances are put on an even playing field as drugs.
In such places doctors are well versed in the uses of vitamins, supplements, and minerals along side pharmaceuticals.
I hope to make the U.S. one of those places.
So today I cover one small area of the amazing supplement co Q 10.
First a little background.
Co Q 10 is one of the most important substances in the body. It is intimately involved with the generation of energy, using fat as fuel and critically important for all organs.
A few days ago I answered a question about resting metabolism with regards to weight loss.
I stated that the organs most responsible for resting metabolism were the brain, the heart, the kidney and the liver.
If you look at these organs you'll see that their cells are rich in mitochondria, the tiny little powerhouses that make energy for all cells.
So it is not too much of a stretch to see that Co Q, which lives inside the mitochondria, would be very important for their function.
But it's not just limited to there.
Even the eyes seem to benefit from Co Q 10. There are studies that show that Co Q protects from age related macular degeneration, which is why we loaded up our Pro Mac Young Eyes formulated with this critical substance.
But let's focus on just the heart and Co Q 10 or you'll be reading all day long.
When I first created Regenerizer, I made it for my patients who were taking statin drugs and in my opinion ran the risk of getting too low on Co Q.
While traditional medical authorities in this country turn a blind eye to this possibility (sound familiar?) in Canada, the use of Co Q 10 and statins is pretty much a law.
This is because statins are known to interfere with the manufacture of Co Q and this can lead to many problems in the very organ the statins are supposed to protect, the heart.
If you want an all natural compound designed to drop your cholesterol without statin side effects, you owe it to yourself to try Cholesterol Bomb.
Another thing you should know about Co q 10 is that it tends to decline in the mitochondria as we age.
This is one of the reasons thought to lead to the slowing down of older people. It can also be linked to movement disorders such as Parkinson's.
If however the heart gets weaker and slows down, then you have a situation called Congestive Heart Failure.
To be sure there is more heart failure than ever now. Most doctors say it is because of aging, and there is a multi drug cocktail designed to keep the heart pumping longer and stronger.
Multi drugs means multi side effects though as we have seen over and over again.
And I don't suppose they ever considered the decline in co Q as linked to the aging process.
Despite the resistance and a slew of negative articles published in the typical journals (like JAMA) there is more and more evidence to show that Co Q can benefit your heart.
Studies at the University of Texas at Austin showed that 75 percent of heart patients have severe deficiencies of Co Q 10 in heart tissue compared with healthy individuals. These are people who are not necessarily on statins either.
Adding coenzyme Q-10 significantly benefited three-fourths of a group of elderly patients with congestive heart failure.
In general the higher the doses used the better the results.
Common practice was to use 30 mg, the dose that is sold in most vitamin stores.
This of course is way too small to do much. But when you get up above 100mg, you really start to see some positive things in the strength of the heart's contraction, the volume of blood it pumps and even a reduction in heart pain know as angina.
This is why Regenerizer had to have 200mg.
At these doses you can see improvement in heart function and blood flow. The end result is improved performance on the treadmill.
When Co Q is removed from the treatment routine (even if there are prescription drugs on board) the person often relapses with symptoms of their disease.
In Japan and Italy Co Q is a prescription only and is among the top treatments for heart failure in these countries.
Big Pharma has a weaker toe hold there!
Co Q has even been shown to improve the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse, a common heart value condition in this country
Ok so now you know about Co Q and the heart. I haven't even touched on the brain, the kidneys and the liver; we'll save that for another time.
Remember Regenerizer has Co Q 10 in a dose of 200 mg a dose that I have not seen elsewhere in a supplement.
I have seen other doctors claim they have the highest dosage in their supplements at around 100 mg.
Someone should let them know!
But here is the important point.
As I moved away from my Internal Medicine practice and into the Anti-aging field I wanted to create something that would help healthy people achieve their performance goals and perhaps prevent them from ever having to deal with the problems of aging.
I can't make further claims or the FDA and the FTC will come knocking on my door with a pair of handcuffs.
But you can read what my Regenerizer users have said and decided for yourself.
Once you are done you want some for yourself too.
Regenerizer
All the best in health,
Dr Dave
Supplements mentioned in this blog:
Pro Mac Young Eyes
Regenerizer
Cholesterol Bomb
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