July 25, 2009 by Avery Jenkins.

Another episode of Alternative Healthpod is up. This week I discuss the biggest danger to health in this country. Click here to subscribe, or subscribe via iTunes.

As always, if you download via iTunes, don’t be shy about rating the podcast. (In case you’ve forgotten, 5 stars means really good. That’s the one most people use, I would go with the flow if I were you.)

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July 24, 2009 by Avery Jenkins.

My mother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She’s 97 now and we have no idea where she is.

A meta-analysis of 28 studies of cancer related fatigue found that exercise is more effective at combating fatigue than the usual care provided to patients.

“I believe, in the future, exercise in oncology can play a role, as much a role as exercise plays in cardiac rehab, but we need to do the types of large trials, appropriately powered to answer these questions,” said Karen Mustian, an assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, who was not involved with the review.

“This gout has got my ankle swollen bigger than Madonna’s ego.”

Higher intakes of vitamin C may reduce a man’s risk of gout, the most prevalent inflammatory arthritis in adult males, by up to 45 per cent, says a new study. According to the research findings, for every 500 milligrams increase in vitamin C intake, a man’s risk of gout was cut by 17 per cent. And for men with vitamin C intakes of at least 1,500 milligrams per day, the risk of gout was cut by 45 per cent.

Green tea chewing gum?

Consuming green tea may offer protection against gum disease, a condition that may affect over 30 per cent of the population, suggests a new study. The researchers propose that catechins, the polyphenols found in green tea, may interfere with the body’s inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria, thereby promoting periodontal health, and warding off further disease.

Nutrition for Asthma Does Work

A trio of nutrients were associated with improvements in asthma measures, lung function, and markers of inflammation in the lungs, according to findings of a randomised, double blind, placebo-self-controlled crossover trial.

“Children with moderately persistent bronchial asthma may get benefit from their diet supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, Zinc and vitamin C,” wrote the researchers.

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July 20, 2009 by Avery Jenkins.

Interested in how (poorly) a doctor can manage his own health problems?

Check out the new Alternative Healthpod podcast, “Physician, Heal Thyself!” You can do it one of two ways: 1. Go to the podcasts section at iTunes and search for “healthpod,” or 2. download it directly from the feed.

If  you do go to iTunes, please rate the podcast. 5 stars would be great, but I’ll take what I can get.

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July 16, 2009 by Avery Jenkins.

The picture on the right is of the woman nominated by President Barack Obama to be our next Surgeon General, Regina Benjamin, MD.

The U.S. Surgeon General is the leading spokesperson for public health matters in the United States.

The Surgeon General shapes the direction of public health policy, and can have a tremendous effect on the health habits of Americans, as demonstrated by the dramatic drop in cigarette smoking in the years since the Surgeon General’s office condemned it.

Today, the focus is turning toward preventable lifestyle diseases, such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes.  It is a sure bet that the up-and-coming Surgeon General will be out in front in confronting the lifestyle choices that cause these diseases.

And let’s not mince words here. Genetics and environment play only very small roles in obesity, heart disease and diabetes. The major causes of these diseases are the Standard American Diet (SAD) and sloth.

For the most part, Dr. Benjamin is an excellent choice for Surgeon General. She is a MacArthur Foundation genius grant recipient, founder and CEO of a rural health clinic, a medical college dean, and recipient of too many awards and certificates to count.

So what’s wrong with this picture? The problem is that while Dr. Benjamin may very well promote the tenets of healthy living, one has to wonder, does she actually live by those principles?

If she does not, she can use all of the oxygen in the world to recommend healthy eating and active living, but the message will not be heard.

I know through my own experience that a doctor has to walk the talk of healthful living. I can gladly cajole my patients to exercise routinely, because I train 5-6 days a week. I can lead patients into healthier diets because I eat healthy myself.

I also fall out of training and have been known to suck down a bag of Doritos like a Hoover, so I can help my patients with those pitfalls as well.

Most chiropractic physicians know that we have to walk the talk, because our relationships with our patients tend to be more of a partnership and less of a dictatorship than the MD-patient relationship.

On the face of it, what I’m about to suggest sounds like a far-fetched idea.

But if you look at the nuts and bolts of what today’s Surgeon General has to do, might it not make sense to choose a doctor who lives by the dictates which he/she recommends to the populace? Who leads by example rather than dictum? Who knows how to inspire people to better health?

Why shouldn’t our next Surgeon General be a Doctor of Chiropractic?

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