Kathi's Blog - Kathi Casey, Author, Baby Boomer Health and Wellness Coach, Amazon International Bestselling Author

If you have been reading my posts for a while, you know that I like to research a topic and give you the latest evidence in order for you to make your own informed choice. I believe that’s how we can all achieve optimum health.

This week the news media has been full of reports on Angelina Jolie’s double mastectomy as a preventative for breast cancer. While I applaud Ms. Jolie’s determination to live a long and healthy life and be there for her children as they grow, I am concerned that other women may make their decision based on fear of the disease, without fully researching their options. I have found the publicity so far to be skewed; so at the bottom of this post you will find a few posts on this topic, from people whose opinions I respect, which provide contrasting viewpoints. I encourage you to do your own research as well. The more informed we are, the more comfortable we’ll be with our choices.

Deborah King Blog Post

Dr. Lissa Rankin Article

Dr. Andrew Weill

Best of Health,

Kathi

This week we celebrate Mothers all over the U.S. That means florists will be filling lovely bouquet orders and card shops will be filled with men attempting to find the perfect Mother's Day card.

As I thought about how to celebrate all moms, one thing that came to mind is that moms are always in need of a day off, so perhaps this week all of us who are aunts, uncles, grown children, etc. can put our thinking caps on and find ways to do just that. I have included a few inexpensive, fun ideas for you, and encourage you to think "outside the box" and get creative with your own ideas!

My own mom left the planet several years ago; she liked homemade cards and Fanny Farmer Chocolates! Happy Mother's Day, Ma!

Here are some healthy and/or green gifts for Mom:

1. The breakfast in bed idea doesn't really work out in today's world. Most of the moms I know would MUCH rather have dinner cooked for her while she sits with her feet up, reading her favorite magazine, on any given week day!

2. Many working moms don't get outside as much as they'd like, so take Sunday afternoon off from baseball games and other activities, turn the computers and smart phones off,  and take mom for a picnic in the park, on a hike, or a bike ride. You’ll all feel better!

3. Flower farms are opening their doors everywhere this month and their colors are spectacular. Bring mom to one and simply walk around smelling the wonderful scents, admiring the pretty colors and at the end, have her choose a blooming plant to bring home. Then, whenever she looks at it, she'll remember the wonderful afternoon that you all spent together, surrounded by flowers. 

Enjoy!

Kathi

This is another guest post by my friend Carolyn Dean MD ND

The Huffington Post is an online site that attracts millions of viewers. But nobody took much interest in an article titled “PCSK9 Inhibitors: New Class Of Cholesterol Drugs Shows Promise In Trials.” Since it published Nov 5, 2012 only 9 people shared it on Facebook.

I think this lack of interest in yet another cholesterol drug shows the public’s distrust and disdain for drug-solutions. After all, we’ve been medicating ourselves with statins for decades and heart disease is still our number one killer which means that statins are not working! The public also knows that statin drugs are causing serious side effects. But is the answer a new cholesterol drug?

Cholesterol is a red herring and NOT the bad guy in heart disease. Dr. Stephen Sinatra’s new book, The Great Cholesterol Myth labels inflammation as the true cause of heart disease and sugar the real demon in the diet.

It’s true that inflammation is a major cause of heart disease. But sugar isn’t the main cause of inflammation. Calcium is. Calcium is pro-inflammatory and magnesium is anti-inflammatory. Magnesium is a natural calcium channel blocker, a natural statin, and balances blood sugar and eliminates metabolic syndrome.

Along with magnesium, a nutrient that helps balance cholesterol is niacin, Vitamin B3. A recent study using a dangerous time-release form of niacin and a cholesterol drug together somehow concluded that niacin is ineffective in reducing cholesterol levels. Did I mention that the study used a dangerous form of niacin?

I’m on the Advisory Board of OMNS (Orthomolecular Medicine News Service). We recently put out a Press release to counter the flaws in this erroneous study. It’s called Niacin is the Safest and Most Effective Way to Control Cholesterol. March 21, 2013.

Journalist, Lisa Collier Cool cited our report in an article on Yahoo Health! called The Safest (and Cheapest) Cholesterol Treatment.

Compared to the 9 Facebook forwards on the newest cholesterol drug, when she interviewed me about magnesium, Lisa told me her niacin article received millions of hits and was the most well-received article she has ever written. It now has 7,600 Facebook forwards.

This week, my new best friend, Lisa is doing another article on heart disease, this time with a focus on magnesium. Let’s see how many Facebook forwards this article generates and how many people can be educated about magnesium.

I can assure you, if you don’t start looking at safe supplements like magnesium and niacin (NOT Time-Release niacin) for cholesterol, you will be subject to the following Canadian Diabetic Association Guidelines. “All patients with diabetes should start taking statins when they turn 40 and blood pressure drugs when they turn 55.” This is preventive medicine at its worst!

Best of Heart Health,

Kathi

A very sad report was published in the April 11, 2013 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. In 2010 (the year that was studied) doctors prescribed antibiotic drugs for approx 1 in every 4 Americans. Good grief! The survey showed that the most frequently prescribed antibiotic was azithromycin, often used to treat bronchitis. The problem is that bronchitis is usually is caused by a virus, and antibiotics are ineffective against viruses, because antibiotics are intended for bacterial infections! 

The study, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), showed that the antibiotics were most prescribed for young children and the elderly. The CDC authors stated that the overuse of antibiotics is a major factor in the evolution of microbes that resist these drugs, which, in turn, makes it more difficult to treat certain diseases.

I often cringe when I read a Facebook post from another parent of a young child saying that their little one is “back on” an antibiotic. It’s a major concern that, as these kids grow up, and their bodies become resistant to antibiotics, if a serious bacterial infection comes their way, there may be no effective treatment for them. There are naturopaths and doctors who practice functional medicine in most areas of the country. These doctors tend to go with botanical or other alternative treatments first and don’t rush to the prescription pad. I recommend looking for one in your area and checking them out. You may decide they are not for you, but at least take a look. Compare what they offer with your western MD and make you own informed choice.

Best of Health,

Kathi   

Here's How:

For example, my favorite desert, dark chocolate, is known to release endorphins (feel good hormones). Chocolate contains phenylethaylamine which is a chemical that releases the endorphins into our body. Another great reason to switch to dark chocolate!

Capsaicin, which we already know is good for us, improves circulation, and new research has shown that it also releases endorphins (more of those feel good hormones). Maybe that's why Arielle Ford called her program  "Wabi Sabi Love" - she felt the lovely effects of wasabi on her sushi! It may seem counterintuitive, but eating hot peppers, Tabasco, and Indian food, may just fire up your love life!

I always wondered why I feel romantic after my annual Paella fiesta and now I know it wasn't just the wine... Those sneaky Spaniards! Saffron has recently been found to enhance sexual performance. So, pick up some of this lovely smelling spice and make your own Spanish Paella or just sprinkle it on your chicken or fish or add some to your rice cooker and watch the sparks fly!

Best of Health,

Kathi