Healthy by Nature radio show this week: This is our 16th Anniversary show, so I guess that makes this week’s interview about #832. (You’d think I’d be better at it by now.) Hyla Cass, MD returns to discuss addiction. She is the author of Natural Highs: Supplements, Nutrition, and Mind-Body Techniques to Help You Feel Good All the Time; Supplement Your Prescription: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Nutrition and Eight Weeks to Vibrant Health: A Take Charge Plan for Women to Correct Imbalances, Reclaim Energy and Restore Well-Being. At the end of the show, Dietitian Beth Dokolasa of Natural Grocers talks about back to school supplements. In the middle of the show we talk to Marc David. (Please see the next section below about Mark.) Click here to find podcasts, show archives and how to listen nationwide.

The psychology of eating
Marc David, author of The Slow Down Diet, and I talk a bit about how much what goes on in our heads affects what we put in our mouths. Then I ask him about The Institute for the Psychology of Eating. (At that link you can get a free video guide.) That is his terrific training program where lay a person can become a Certified Professional Eating Psychology Coach. This certification can lead to a whole new career or a part time source of extra income or simply important knowledge to help yourself, your friends and family. I’ve been a fan of Marc’s book (if not his haircut) and the program sounds great. I wish I wasn’t so busy, or I’d take the training myself. Enrollment for the current class is supposed to end August 21st but they said they’d watch for our listeners and give them until Aug 28th to get their applications in. Check it out.

Dodge Dementia
That title, Dodge Dementia, isn’t about someone who lost their mind over a Chrysler car. It is about the grim fact that Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the US. One in three seniors die with it or some other form of dementia. It is a horrific and enormously costly disease and is striking younger and younger folks. We all want to avoid it. Since there don’t seem to be any drugs that are very effective, the powers-that-be seem to be getting more open to the idea of prevention. Here are a couple of places to start:

Sugar. The food and soft drink companies (as well as some of the dietetic organizations they support) seem to treat sugar as a nutrient. But, as so very many of our radio guests have pointed out, in many ways it is an anti-nutrient. Aside from its role in cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, we now know that as blood sugar rises, so does the risk of dementia. In this study the connection was shown to be present even when diabetes was not. LINK.

Vitamin B₁ and lead. Brilliant nutrition expert and tireless investigator, Bill Sardi, has an excellent article on his site about the effects of lead toxicity. He also covers the importance of Vitamin B1 to the prevention of dementia and many other  common maladies–from depression and insomnia to irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia. The B vitamins aren’t as “sexy” as some of the newer higher tech supplements, but they are still crucial to health. (They just need a better press agent.) Bill points out many ways we can easily become depleted.

What’s up?
Dr. Kotsanis has one of his nifty free “Lunch and Learn” events on Wednesday the 21st in Grapevine, TX near the DFW airport. The topic is Chronic/Stealth Infections. Details.

Last Week
LINK to that show in the archives. Deborah Z. Bain, MD and I talked back to school issues that arise in her integrative clinic in Frisco, TX. She suggested the book Deceptively Delicious. (It has very helpful suggestions for moms and fun recipes. It isn’t hard to adjust recipes to back off a bit from her now questioned low fat inclination.) I had a brand new copy which I gave to the HealthWorks Mart Plano outlet store. They are selling it at half price because it isn’t in their regular catalog.) Dr. Bain kindly provided these links for finding integrative physicians: ABIHM, IFM and vaccine friendly doctors.  Then Nicole Wallace from the Kotsanis Institute gave us a bunch of good suggestions for healthier kids (and adults) and we touched on Autism which is her specialty. Nicole discussed the book Food for Thought and provided these links: AsSweetAsLife.org, Autism diet site, more recipes. There are some videos on the Kotsanis site but I think Nicole may send us links to more. Dietitian Beth Dokolasa of Natural Grocers talks about breakfast.

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My first book : Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec & Other Acid Blockers. Subtitle: What to Use to Relieve Acid Reflux, Heartburn, and Gastric Ailments.

My latest book: Aloe Vera-Modern Science Sheds Light on an Ancient Herbal Remedy

The information contained in this newsletter has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The contents are for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Copyright 2013 Martie Whittekin, CCN