National Geographic addresses a topic which makes me feel very uncomfortable.  It is a strange situation when one just KNOWS that something is wrong, but cannot come up with convincing words that express those feeling.

"Scientists have begun blurring the line between human and animal by producing chimeras—a hybrid creature that's part human, part animal. "

Read the report here - I would love to hear what you think about this!  Please make a comment.

I have been hearing a lot about the "change" to whole grains in the mass market cereal offerings, and even my grandson asked why I had "that funny look" on my face.  The reason is simple:  whenever the large corporations make a change, they make it LOOK as though it's for us - but it's really for them.

Please read this article, entitled "Why Uncle Sam Won't Tell You What Not to Eat " , and pay especial attention to the paragraph which begins "Responding to that threat, companies such as General  ...."

Remember, whole grains do not keep - they are perishable.

Here is a penetrating analysis of the situation from Jenny Thompson, a lady for whom I have the greatest respect, and you can  start receiving your own copy of her HSI e-Alert, by visiting: http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/hsi/freecopya

"But here's the question that really needs answering: Does this new  whole grain actually qualify as genuine whole grain?
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The "whole" megillah  
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In a USA Today article about the new whole grain, on toward the very bottom of the article, there's a reference to the "technology" behind General Mills' cereal changes. It seems that the whole grain won't be EXACTLY whole as we currently know it. It will be made of flour that's processed with a newly developed milling method that grinds the whole grain into particles of uniform size.

Hmm. Doesn't sound quite "whole" to me.
In August, a company called ConAgra (the second largest food  processing company in the U.S.) announced the development of  Ultragrain, which appears to be similar to the new whole grain that General Mills is using. Ultragrain is designed to be used in any type of product that calls for flour: bread, pizza, pasta, crackers, cereal, etc. The primary selling point is that it's just as healthy as whole grain, but has the look, texture and flavor of processed grain. According to an Associated Press report, Ultragrain produces a slice of white bread that's purported to be just as healthy as a slice of genuine whole wheat bread.

USA Today states that General Mills executives would not discuss the new technology behind the development of their new type of  whole grain. So what's the big secret? They're asking us to accept their word that it's healthier, but they're not giving us specific details.

In fact, this new milling technology is so cutting edge that the only information I've been able to find consists of glowing reports about how it will transform the bread industry. Most of these reports appear to be little more than rewritten press releases.

And so far no one is asking any hard questions. Such as: How did they manage to make a completely different whole grain that's just as healthy as whole grain? Or: Have trials been conducted to make sure there are no health risks? 

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Whole is as whole does
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I asked HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., if he'd heard anything about this bread "breakthrough," and he confirmed that not much is known about it so far. But he did have this insightful take on it: "Whole grains are missing one huge factor where refined grains are clearly superior, and that's shelf life. I don't see the 'big boys' ever giving that up - it's just too much money down the drain throwing out food that's gone bad too early. So, yes, I smell a rat (though at this point I can't prove it). Something fishy is going on here."

One of the fishiest things about the claims for the new cereal
products is that they'll be healthier.

Have you seen a bowl of Trix lately? The colors are practically iridescent. So you can be sure there are plenty of artificial colors added. Preservatives? Absolutely. Trans fatty acids? You bet. Sugar? Oh my yes: 13 grams per cup!

In other words, we're quite a long way from health food here. And swapping refined flour for a new type of whole grain that mimics the qualities of refined flour provides a pretty thin assurance that we're moving in a healthy direction.  "

A new  study, published in Medical Hypotheses, (2005 64, 312–315) examines 206 children under the age of 3 diagnosed with autism, and comes up with a connection between ear infections and the antibiotics prescribed for them..

This is such sad information.  As a wholistic nutritionist, I have been warning parents for 20 years that ear infections are not visited on their children  from above, but are almost always an avoidable consequence of improper nutrition.  Read my article here.

More Good News About Olive Oil: Breast Cancer Fighter...

According to research in the Annals of Oncology (published online, January 10, 2005, http://annonc.oupjournals.org), oleic acid, the main monounsaturated fatty acid in olive oil, may help defend against breast cancer.

Researchers conducted a series of laboratory experiments on breast cancer cells using oleic acid and found that the fatty acid suppresses levels of a cancer-promoting gene known as Her-2/neu.

Other tests revealed that oleic acid also enhanced the antibody treatment, trastuzumab (Herceptin™), which targets Her-2/neu and has helped prolong the lives of breast cancer patients. The researchers concluded that these results may be helpful in the design of future epidemiological studies and, eventually, dietary counseling.

Read my article on Breast Cancer here

And on Healthy Dietary choices here.

Being a Grandmother has its down side, when one is an advocate for natural treatment, and the parents are not!  When my Granddaughter ran a fever recently, I had no luck explaining the function of fever, and why treating it with baby aspirin was not the answer.

Granted this story of a little girl who tragicallly lost her sight through a similar action/reaction is a rarity. However, the basic truth is the same.

Pain and fever serve a function, and chemically short-circuiting them can lead to unexpected consequences. I urge you to read Dr. Mercola's comments on this event, which follow the article itself at this link.

Over the Counter drugs have their own risks, which can sometimes be extremely serious  Consider Tylenol. 

The January of Diabetes Care, ( vol 28: pp 96-101.) carries a study by Dr. Sima which evaluated two studies involving over 1200 patients  with diabetic neuropathy.  Analysis indicated significant improvement, both at the 6 month and 1 year mark using 1000 mgs of Acetyl-L-Carnitine.

People who had been diagnosed with diabetes for the shortest length of time not only experienced the highest level of pain relief, but also showed improvement in  nerve structure and reactions.

The researchers said the results suggested that optimal results may be obtained by starting this therapy as early as possible in the course of the disease.

More information

Read more about L-Carnitine here

Order Acetyl-L-Carnitine

My position has always been that pharmaceutical drugs have their place in the management of disease, but only to bring the situation under control so that the REASON for the imbalance could be discovered and corrected. 

Recent developments with vioxx and others have certainly strengthened that opinion.

But are ANY drugs safe for pregnant women?  Should other avenues be explored first, before a prescription is issued, particularly for non-life threatening conditions? Recollect, Omega 3 fatty acids, among them DHA, are connected not only with help for depression, but calmer babies, with higher intelligence and better eyesight!

Read this information about the influence of anti-depressants on children, and tell me what you think!

Supplements Benefit Children with ADHD... According to research in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (2004, vol.23: 545s-548s), children suffering from attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may benefit from supplements of magnesium and vitamin B6. ADHD is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity and usually appears during preschool and early school years.

 Magnesium deficiency has previously been reported in children with ADHD and supplementing with the mineral has been shown to decrease hyperactivity. This study examined 52 children with ADHD under age 15. Though exact dosages were not clear in the study abstract, the children appeared to receive a combination of six milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day of magnesium and 0.8 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day of vitamin B6 for a period of one to six months. By the end of the study, significant improvements were seen among all participants in hyper-excitability symptoms.